Abstract
The effects of age on serotonergic function have been hypothesized to underlie age-related changes in mood and behaviors such as sleep and eating. Of particular interest is the serotonin type-1A (5-HT1A) receptor, due to its putative role in mediating the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressant treatment. Using positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C-carbonyl] WAY100635, we assessed 5-HT1A receptor binding in 21 healthy subjects (10 men, 11 women) ranging in age from 21 to 80 years. Regional binding potential values were generated using a reference tissue model and corrected for partial volume effects. We observed an inverse relationship between age and binding of [11C-carbonyl] WAY100635 to the 5-HT1A receptor in men, but not women. This finding is in accord with observations reported in the postmortem literature. Gender-specific effects of age on central serotonergic function may relate to differences between men and women in behavior, mood, and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disease across the adult lifespan.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-17 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Brain research |
Volume | 895 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 23 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Aging
- Emission tomography
- Serotonin receptor
- Sex
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
- Molecular Biology
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology