Abstract
Background
Serotonergic abnormalities have been hypothesized to contribute to obsessive–compulsive
disorder (OCD). This study examined whether brain serotonin transporter (SERT) availability
is altered in OCD using positron emission tomography (PET) and the SERT PET radiotracer
[11C]McN 5652.
Methods
Eleven OCD subjects, free of psychiatric medications and comorbid depression, and
11 matched healthy control subjects underwent PET scans following injection of [11C]McN 5652 and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Total distribution volumes
(VT) were derived by kinetic analysis (one tissue compartment model) using the arterial
input function. Two measures of SERT availability were computed: binding potential
(BP) and specific to nonspecific partition coefficient (V3″). Groups were compared using region of interest (ROI) analysis and voxelwise analysis
of spatially normalized parametric maps; ROIs were selected based on their relatively
high SERT density and included subcortical (dorsal caudate, dorsal putamen, ventral
striatum, midbrain, thalamus) and limbic (hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate
cortex) regions.
Results
No significant group differences were observed in [11C]McN 5652 BP or V3″ in the ROIs. No significant group differences were detected in the voxelwise analysis
of BP or V3″ maps.
Conclusions
OCD without comorbid depression, may not be associated with major changes in SERT
availability in subcortical and limbic regions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 12,
2003
Received in revised form:
April 22,
2003
Received:
January 27,
2003
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
