RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 In vivo measurements of brain trapping of <sup>11</sup>C-labelled α-methyl-<span class="sc">l</span>-tryptophan during acute changes in mood states
JF Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO JPN
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 430
OP 434
VO 32
IS 6
A1 Elisabeth Perreau-Linck
A1 Mario Beauregard
A1 Paul Gravel
A1 Vincent Paquette
A1 Jean-Paul Soucy
A1 Mirko Diksic
A1 Chawki Benkelfat
YR 2007
UL http://jpn.ca/content/32/6/430.abstract
AB Background: Little is known about the specific contribution of serotonin (5-HT) to the neurobiology of emotion and mood in healthy people. In an exploratory study, we sought to investigate the effect of rapid and sustained changes of emotional state on the trapping of 11C-labelled α-methyl-l-tryptophan (11C-αMtrp) used as a proxy of 5-HT synthesis, using positron emission tomography (PET).Method: In a within-subject repeated-measure design, participants recalled autobiographical memories to self-induce sadness, happiness and a neutral emotional state during scanning to measure brain trapping of 11C-αMtrp. Three separate scan acquisitions, counterbalanced for order across subjects, took place at the McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montréal.Results: Whole brain analysis revealed positive and negative correlations between experienced levels of emotions and 11C-αMtrp trapping in the right anterior cingulate cortex.Conclusion: These findings point to a mechanism whereby state-related changes in a proxy of 5-HT synthesis underscore aspects of the self-regulation of normal mood.