DOPAMINE D(2) RECEPTORS IN DEPRESSION MEASURED WITH SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

Psychobiological theories of mood disorders have been concerned mainly with noradrenaline and serotonin. There exists, however, a recent upsurge of interest in dopamine. We have used single photon emission computed tomography and I-123-iodobenzamide, a high-affinity ligand for D-2 receptors, to study these receptors in depression. Subjects were 21 (unipolar) depressed inpatients and II normal controls. The mean basal ganglia/cerebellum uptake ratio was 1.94 (+/- 0.27) in the depressed patients versus 1.74 (+/- 0.17) in the controls. This difference was statistically significant (Mann-Whimey U test, p = 0.025). These data could indicate an increase of D-2 receptor density in depression.