Regional brain responses to serotonin in major depressive disorder

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies have reported altered resting regional brain glucose metabolism in mood disorders. This study examines the relationship of such changes to serotonin system abnormalities associated with depression.

Thirteen male medication free subjects who were inpatients with a DSM-IIIR major depressive disorder and seven healthy male subjects underwent an [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) PET scan on consecutive days. Three hours prior to 18FDG subjects received single blind placebo or fenfluramine. Comparisons of voxel level regional glucose metabolic rate responses (rCMRglu) between groups in the two states were performed with SPM99.

Unlike healthy male subjects who have significant increases in rCMRglu in prefrontal and parietal cortical regions after receiving fenfluramine, depressed male subjects have no significant increases in rCMRglu.

Blunted increases in rCMRglu in response to fenfluramine in prefrontal and parietal cortex are consistent with our previous pilot study and the indoleamine hypothesis of depression. Differences in specific brain regions affected between this study and previous studies may be attributable to gender differences.