Title: Striatal D2 Dopamine Receptor Characteristics in Neuroleptic-Naive Schizophrenic Patients Studied With Positron Emission Tomography
Abstract: <h3>Background:</h3> According to the D<sub>2</sub>dopamine receptor hypothesis of schizophrenia, there is an increased number of D<sub>2</sub>receptors in the brains of schizophrenic patients than in those of healthy controls. We tested this hypothesis in 13 newly admitted neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients and 10 healthy volunteers using positron emission tomography. <h3>Method:</h3> The quantification of striatal D<sub>2</sub>dopamine receptor density (B<sub>max</sub>) and affinity (K<sub>d</sub>) was done using an equilibrium model described for raclopride labeled with carbon 11. <h3>Results:</h3> No statistically significant alterations were found in D<sub>2</sub>receptor densities or affinities between the patient and control groups. However, a subgroup of four patients with a relatively high striatal D<sub>2</sub>dopamine density was identified. Two patients, especially, had D<sub>2</sub>dopamine densities almost twice as high as the mean control B<sub>max</sub>value. The K<sub>d</sub>values also tended to be higher in this subset of patients than in the controls. No consistent striatal D<sub>2</sub>dopamine receptor laterality was observed in schizophrenic patients or controls. However, an association of high D<sub>2</sub>dopamine density in the left striatum and the mass of raclopride injected in the scan with low-specific radioactivity was observed in patients but not in controls. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> There are no general changes in D<sub>2</sub>dopamine receptor B<sub>max</sub>or K<sub>d</sub>values in neuroleptic-naive schizophrenics, but there may be a subgroup of patients with aberrant striatal D<sub>2</sub>dopamine receptor characteristics in vivo.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-02-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 177
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot