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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
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Creating Dynamic Images of Short-lived Dopamine Fluctuations with lp-ntPET: Dopamine Movies of Cigarette Smoking
Published on: August 6, 2013
Investigating serotonergic function using positron emission tomography: overview and recent findings.
D J Veltman1, H G Ruhé, J Booij
1Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam The Netherlands. dj.veltman@vumc.nl
Current Pharmaceutical Design
|April 8, 2010
Summary
Positron emission tomography (PET) visualizes serotonin (5-HT) function in the brain. This review explores PET
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission regulates critical psychological and physiological functions.
- Aberrant 5-HT signaling is linked to numerous neuropsychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on the role of 5-HT in neuropsychiatric disorders using PET.
- To discuss future research directions in this field.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a non-invasive nuclear imaging technique.
- Analyzes in vivo neurotransmitter function with high sensitivity and specificity.
Main Results:
- PET has been instrumental in studying 5-HT function in various disorders over the past two decades.
- Recent findings highlight PET's utility in understanding mood disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and impulse control disorders.
Conclusions:
- PET imaging provides crucial insights into in vivo serotonin neurotransmission.
- Further research using PET can advance our understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions.
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