Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
![Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F67458.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
07:28
Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level
Published on: January 24, 2025
481
The relationship between glutamate, dopamine, and cortical gray matter: A simultaneous PET-MR study
Antoine Rogeau1,2, Giovanna Nordio1, Mattia Veronese1,3
1Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Molecular Psychiatry
|May 13, 2022
Summary
The prefrontal cortex influences striatal dopamine function, with glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate modulating this relationship and gray matter volumes. This offers new insights into brain regulation relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Neuropsychiatry
Background:
- Prefrontal cortex regulation of striatal dopaminergic function via glutamatergic mechanisms is established in preclinical models.
- Disruptions in these interconnected systems are common in neuropsychiatric diseases.
- Simultaneous measurement of striatal dopamine, cortical gray matter, and glutamate has not been previously reported.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simultaneously measure striatal dopamine release, dopamine D2/3 receptor availability, anterior cingulate glutamate+glutamine (Glx) levels, and cortical gray matter volumes.
- To investigate the associations between these neurochemical measures and gray matter volumes.
- To explore the regulatory role of the prefrontal cortex in striatal dopamine function and the potential modulation by glutamate.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight healthy subjects underwent two simultaneous [11C]-(+)-PHNO PET-MRI scans under placebo and amphetamine conditions in a double-blind, randomized crossover design.
- Voxel-based morphometry was employed to analyze associations between neurochemical and volumetric data.
- Striatal dopamine release, D2/3 receptor availability, anterior cingulate Glx, and cortical gray matter volumes were quantified.
Main Results:
- Whole striatum D2/3 receptor availability positively correlated with prefrontal cortex gray matter volume, particularly associative receptor availability.
- An interaction was found between sensorimotor striatum D2/3 receptor availability and anterior cingulate Glx levels.
- This interaction showed that D2/3 receptor availability was negatively associated with frontal cortex gray matter in individuals with high Glx, but positively associated in those with low Glx.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the hypothesis that the prefrontal cortex regulates striatal dopamine function.
- Anterior cingulate glutamate concentrations may modulate this prefrontal-striatal regulatory pathway.
- These results provide novel insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of brain function and dysfunction in neuropsychiatric conditions.
