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5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptor occupancy in the living human brain

A PET study with risperidone

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Abstract

It has been suggested that a combined blockade of 5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptors may be superior to D2 dopamine antagonists alone in the treatment of schizophrenia. Risperidone, which has a high affinity for 5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptors in vitro, is a new antipsychotic drug that has been developed according to this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to examine if risperidone indeed induces 5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptor occupancy in vivo in humans. Central receptor occupancy was examined by positron emission tomography (PET) in three healthy men after oral administration of 1 mg risperidone. [11C]N-methylspiperone ([11C]NMSP) was used as a radioligand for determination of 5-HT2 receptor occupancy in the neocortex. Both an equilibrium ratio analysis and a kinetic three-compartmental analysis indicated a 5-HT2 receptor occupancy about 60%. [11C]raclopride was used as a radioligand for determination of D2 dopamine receptor occupancy in the striatum and the calculated occupancy was about 50%. This is the first quantitative determination of 5-HT2 receptor occupancy induced by an antipsychotic drug in the living human brain. The results indicate that 5-HT2 receptor occupancy should be very high at the dose level of 4–10 mg risperidone daily, as suggested for clinical use. Risperidone is thus an appropriate compound for clinical evaluation of the benefit of combined 5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptor blockade in the treatment of schizophrenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Karolinska Hospital, S-10401, Stockholm, Sweden

    Svante Nyberg, Lars Farde & Christer Halldin

  2. Department of Neuroradiology, Karolinska Hospital, S-10401, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lars Eriksson

  3. Janssen Pharma AB, Sweden

    Bo Eriksson

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  1. Svante Nyberg
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  2. Lars Farde
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  3. Lars Eriksson
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  4. Christer Halldin
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  5. Bo Eriksson
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Additional information

This paper was presented in part at the XVIIIth C.I.N.P. Congress, Nice, France, 28th June-2nd July 1992.

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Nyberg, S., Farde, L., Eriksson, L. et al. 5-HT2 and D2 dopamine receptor occupancy in the living human brain. Psychopharmacology 110, 265–272 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251280

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251280

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