Mapping of central D2 dopamine receptors in man using [11C]raclopride: PET with anatomic standardization technique

D2 dopamine receptors are of interest in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. For group comparisons of neuroreceptor distribution measured by PET on a pixel-by-pixel basis, an anatomic standardization technique is required. The aim of the present study is to build a database of normal D2 dopamine receptor distribution using [11C]raclopride and an anatomic standardization technique. In each subject, two PET measurements were performed with rapid bolus injection and with continuous infusion of [11C]raclopride. The radioactivity of the PET images were integrated in the time interval. Integrated images were normalized by the radioactivity of the cerebellum, providing a measure of the binding potential (BP) in each pixel. Each PET image was transformed into a standard brain anatomy using a Computerized Brain Atlas system. From the standardized PET images, the sample mean and the SD of the BP were calculated in each pixel. On the anatomically standardized average images for the both rapid bolus injection and continuous infusion, high BP was observed in the putamen and the caudate nucleus, whereas low BP was observed in the cerebral cortices. The BP for the thalamus and the substantia nigra were slightly higher than those for the cerebral cortices. This regional distribution is in good agreement with the distribution of D2 dopamine receptors known from in vitro studies. The anatomic standardization technique permits to build a database of the normal D2 dopamine receptor distribution in the living human brain. This technique can be applied for group comparisons on a pixel-by-pixel basis.