A Reference Tissue Implementation of Simultaneous Multifactor Bayesian Analysis (SiMBA) of PET Time Activity Curve Data.

PET analysis is conventionally performed as a two-stage process of quantification followed by analysis. We recently introduced SiMBA (Simultaneous Multifactor Bayesian Analysis), a hierarchical model that performs quantification and analysis for all brain regions of all individuals at once, and in so doing improves both the accuracy of parameter estimation as well as inferential efficiency. However until now, SiMBA has only been implemented for the two-tissue compartment model.

Associations Between Cognition and Serotonin 1B Receptor Availability in Healthy Volunteers: A [11C]AZ10419369 Positron Emission Tomography Study.

Background: The serotonin system has been implicated in several psychiatric disorders. All major psychiatric disorders are associated with cognitive impairment, but treatment improving cognitive deficits is lacking, partly due to limited understanding of the neurobiology of cognitive functioning. Several markers for the serotonin system have been associated with cognitive functions.

Serotonin 1B receptor density mapping of the human brainstem using positron emission tomography and autoradiography.

The serotonin 1B (5-HT) receptor has lately received considerable interest in relation to psychiatric and neurological diseases, partly due to findings based on quantification using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Although the brainstem is an important structure in this regard, PET radioligand binding quantification in brainstem areas often shows poor reliability. This study aims to improve PET quantification of 5-HT receptor binding in the brainstem.

Plasma Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and S100B in Relation to Antidepressant Response to Ketamine.

Background: Evidence demonstrates that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) have a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and they are proposed as predictors of antidepressant response. Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects in MDD and pre-clinical studies suggest the necessity of increased BDNF levels for the antidepressant action of ketamine. However, studies observing the change of blood BDNF levels after ketamine intervention are inconsistent and studies about the role of plasma S100B in ketamine administration in MDD patients are lacking.

P11 (S100A10) as a potential predictor of ketamine response in patients with SSRI-resistant depression.

Background: Ketamine can act as antidepressant in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who are treatment-resistant. P11 has been implicated in ketamine's mechanism of action and proposed as biomarker for treatment response to other antidepressants. This study explores the effect of ketamine on peripheral p11 and the potential role for p11 as response marker for ketamine treatment.

A randomized placebo-controlled PET study of ketamine´s effect on serotonin receptor binding in patients with SSRI-resistant depression.

The glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine has a rapid antidepressant effect. Despite large research efforts, ketamine's mechanism of action in major depressive disorder (MDD) has still not been determined. In rodents, the antidepressant properties of ketamine were found to be dependent on both the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) and the serotonin (5-HT) receptor.

Distribution and levels of 5-HT receptors in anterior cingulate cortex of patients with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia - An autoradiography study.

The serotonin 1B receptor has recently received more interest as a possible new target for pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, the exact mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the binding distribution and levels of the serotonin 1B receptor in-depth in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and provide more insight in its functional role in bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia (SZ).

Amyloid binding properties of curcumin analogues in Alzheimer's disease postmortem brain tissue.

The presence of β-amyloid (Aβ) containing plaques in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and serves as a biomarker for confirmation of diagnosis postmortem. Early diagnosis is of great importance for optimal treatment and for monitoring disease progression in the brain. Highly specific and sensitive biomarkers are thus greatly needed to assess therapeutic efficacy, not only clinically, but also in terms of clearance of histopathological lesions and decelerated neurodegeneration.