Visual Stimuli Induce Serotonin Release in Occipital Cortex: A Simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography/magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Overview

Journal Hum Brain Mapp

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Neurology

Date 2020 Aug 20

PMID 32813903

Citations 5

Authors

Hanne Demant Hansen

Ulrich Lindberg

Brice Ozenne

Patrick MacDonald Fisher

Annette Johansen

Claus Svarer

Sune Hogild Keller

Adam Espe Hansen

Gitte Moos Knudsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Endogenous serotonin (5-HT) release can be measured noninvasively using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in combination with certain serotonergic radiotracers. This allows us to investigate effects of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions on brain 5-HT levels in living humans. Here, we study the neural responses to a visual stimulus using simultaneous PET/MRI. In a cross-over design, 11 healthy individuals were PET/MRI scanned with the 5-HT receptor radioligand [ C]AZ10419369, which is sensitive to changes in endogenous 5-HT. During the last part of the scan, participants either viewed autobiographical images with positive valence (n = 11) or kept their eyes closed (n = 7). The visual stimuli increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the occipital cortex, as measured with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling. Simultaneously, we found decreased 5-HT receptor binding in the occipital cortex (-3.6 ± 3.6%), indicating synaptic 5-HT release. Using a linear regression model, we found that the change in 5-HT receptor binding was significantly negatively associated with change in CBF in the occipital cortex (p = .004). For the first time, we here demonstrate how cerebral 5-HT levels change in response to nonpharmacological stimuli in humans, as measured with PET. Our findings more directly support a link between 5-HT signaling and visual processing and/or visual attention.

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