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Increased Serotonin and Dopamine Transporter Binding in Psychotropic Medication–Naïve Patients with Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder Shown by ¹²³I-β-(4-Iodophenyl)-Tropane SPECT

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; and ² Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Nic J. van der Wee, Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, HP B01.206, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail: n.j.a.van_der_wee{at}lumc.nl

There is circumstantial evidence for the involvement of serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the pathophysiology of social anxiety disorder. In the present study, using SPECT imaging we examined the ¹²³I-β-(4-iodophenyl)-tropane binding potential for the serotonin and dopamine transporters in patients with a generalized social anxiety disorder and in age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Methods: Twelve psychotropic medication–naïve patients with social anxiety disorder, generalized type (5 women and 7 men) and 12 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were studied. Volumes of interest were constructed on MRI-coregistered SPECT scans. Binding ratios were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. Possible correlations between binding patterns and symptomatology were assessed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results: Significantly higher binding potentials were found for the serotonin in the left and right thalamus of patients. Patients had also a significantly higher binding potential for the dopamine transporter in the striatum. Conclusion: The present study provided direct evidence for abnormalities in both the dopaminergic and the serotonergic systems in patients with generalized social anxiety disorder.

Key Words: social anxiety disorder • beta-CIT • SPECT • 5-HTT • dopamine

COPYRIGHT © 2008 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.

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