Nplg. Verhoeff et al., A voxel-by-voxel analysis of [F-18]setoperone PET data shows no substantial serotonin 5-HT2A receptor changes in schizophrenia, PSYCH RES-N, 99(3), 2000, pp. 123-135
Several postmortem studies have reported regionally localized decreases in
serotonin,, receptors (5-HT2AR) in schizophrenia. This was not confirmed by
two recent [F-18]setoperone positron emission tomography (PET) studies. In
these two studies relatively large regions of interest (ROIs) were used; h
ence, 5-HT2AR changes may have been missed in some brain areas. Therefore,
data from one study were analyzed on a voxel-by-voxel basis using Statistic
al Parametric Mapping (SPM). We also used this method to examine the relati
onship between 5-HT2AR binding potential (BP) and five PANSS-derived factor
s: negative, positive, activation, dysphoric and autistic preoccupation. Th
irteen schizophrenic patients (10 antipsychotic-naive, 3 antipsychotic-free
; 11 M, 2 F; age 31 +/- 7 years) and 35 age-matched control subjects (15 M,
20 F; age 30 +/- 7 years) were scanned. The 5-HT2AR BP was determined for
each voxel using the pseudoequilibrium ratio method on PET data obtained be
tween 65 and 90 min after [F-18]setoperone bolus injection. The resulting p
arametric 5-HT2AR BP images were spatially normalized using a ligand specif
ic template. Analyses of covariance were done using SPM99 with age as covar
iate. In tests for the effect of schizophrenia and for partial correlations
between 5-HT2AR BP and the five factors, corrected P values < 0.05 at clus
ter or voxel level were considered significant. No significant differences
were detected between patients and control subjects, and no significant cor
relations were observed between 5-HT2AR BP and any of the five factors. Thu
s, in agreement with the previous ROI studies, voxel-by-voxel analysis conf
irmed the lack of substantial 5-HT2AR BP differences between schizophrenic
patients and control subjects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r
ights reserved.