Reduced availability of brainstem serotonin transporters (5-HTT) has been observed in vivo in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, results vary and may be influenced by competition with endogenous serotonin. Using positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]DASB, a specific 5-HTT ligand that showed no competition with serotonin for 5-HTT binding in vitro, we tested the hypothesis that 5-HTT availability is reduced in OCD patients and correlated with OCD severity. Methods. 5-HTT availability in the thalamus and the midbrain was measured in nine drug-free OCD patients and compared with 19 healthy controls, matched for the individual combination of 5-HTT genotype, gender and smoking status. OCD severity was assessed with the Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale (Y-BOCS). Results. 5-HTT availability was significantly reduced in the thalamus and midbrain of OCD patients. Age and 5-HTT in the thalamus explained 83% of OCD severity in patients that were drug-free for at least 1 year. Conclusion. This PET study confirms a central role of the serotonergic system, particularly the thalamus in the pathogenesis of obsessive compulsive disorder. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.
CITATION STYLE
Reimold, M., Smolka, M. N., Zimmer, A., Batra, A., Knobel, A., Solbach, C., … Heinz, A. (2007). Reduced availability of serotonin transporters in obsessive-compulsive disorder correlates with symptom severity - A [11C]DASB PET study. Journal of Neural Transmission, 114(12), 1603–1609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-007-0785-6
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