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Elevated Putamen D₂ Receptor Binding Potential in Major Depression With Motor Retardation: An [¹¹C]Raclopride Positron Emission Tomography Study

OBJECTIVE: Several antidepressants raise striatal dopamine, but the role of striatal dopamine during major depressive episodes is unclear. Striatal [¹¹C]raclopride binding potential measured with positron emission tomography is an index of D₂ type receptors and is sensitive to extracellular dopamine levels (higher D₂ binding potential occurs when dopamine is lower). It was hypothesized that putamen D₂ binding potential would be higher during major depressive episodes featuring motor retardation. METHOD: Drug-free, nonsmoking subjects experiencing a major depressive episode (N=21) underwent [¹¹C]raclopride PET imaging as did 21 healthy age-matched comparison subjects. Motor retardation was measured with the finger tapping test. RESULTS: The depressed subjects exhibiting motor retardation had significantly higher D₂ binding potential in both the left and right putamen than did healthy subjects, and putamen D₂ binding potential correlated significantly with motor speed in the depressed subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results argue that extracellular dopamine is lower in subjects experiencing a major depressive episode that features motor retardation. This depression subtype should preferentially benefit from dopamine-increasing medications and should be targeted in future clinical trials of dopamine reuptake inhibitors.

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				J. H. Meyer, N. Ginovart, A. Boovariwala, S. Sagrati, D. Hussey, A. Garcia, T. Young, N. Praschak-Rieder, A. A. Wilson, and S. Houle Elevated monoamine oxidase a levels in the brain: an explanation for the monoamine imbalance of major depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry, November 1, 2006; 63(11): 1209 - 1216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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