Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Kappa opioid receptor availability in borderline personality disorder: An in-vivo investigation with [<sup>11</sup>C]EKAP PET imaging.

Biological psychiatry·2026
Same author

Widespread synaptic density loss in schizophrenia follows molecular and network architecture.

Molecular psychiatry·2026
Same author

Neuroimaging evidence for a dopamine-independent association between motor cortex microstructure and Parkinson's disease severity.

NPJ Parkinson's disease·2026
Same author

Impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and dopamine 2/3 receptors availability in people with cocaine use disorder: A [<sup>11</sup>C]PHNO PET study.

Psychiatry research·2026
Same author

An update on the network theory of epilepsy.

Frontiers in network physiology·2026
Same author

Creation of an Open-Access Lung POCUS Image Database for Deep Learning and Neural Network Applications.

POCUS journal·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

18.3K

Imaging synaptic density in the living human brain.

Sjoerd J Finnema1, Nabeel B Nabulsi2, Tore Eid3

  • 1Yale Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. sjoerd.finnema@yale.edu.

Science Translational Medicine
|July 22, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a novel positron emission tomography (PET) imaging method using the radioligand [(11)C]UCB-J to quantify synaptic density in living human brains. This technique shows promise for diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders by assessing synaptic loss.

More Related Videos

Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice
10:55

Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice

Published on: March 31, 2015

10.8K
Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation
09:53

Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation

Published on: May 12, 2014

18.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

18.3K
Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice
10:55

Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice

Published on: March 31, 2015

10.8K
Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation
09:53

Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation

Published on: May 12, 2014

18.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Radiochemistry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Chemical synapses are crucial for neuronal communication in the central nervous system.
  • Synaptic density changes are implicated in neurological and psychiatric disorders like Alzheimer's and epilepsy.
  • Current methods for measuring synaptic density require invasive tissue samples.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a non-invasive method for quantifying synaptic density in the living human brain.
  • To assess the utility of the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) radioligand [(11)C]UCB-J for PET imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the SV2A radioligand [(11)C]UCB-J with positron emission tomography (PET).
  • Validated SV2A as a synaptic density marker against synaptophysin in baboon studies.
  • Conducted first-in-human PET studies to evaluate imaging properties.
  • Assessed sensitivity to synaptic loss in epilepsy patients.

Main Results:

  • [(11)C]UCB-J PET imaging demonstrated excellent properties for visualizing synaptic density.
  • SV2A was confirmed as a viable marker for synaptic density.
  • PET imaging of SV2A successfully detected synaptic loss in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Conclusions:

  • [(11)C]UCB-J PET imaging offers a promising non-invasive approach for in vivo quantification of synaptic density.
  • This technique has potential applications in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
  • Enables the study of synaptic changes in living human brains, advancing our understanding of brain function and disease.