We will use PET measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (BF) and metabolism to characterize the functional anatomy of familial pure depressive disease (FPDD), a subtype of unipolar major depression. We will evaluate the hypotheses that BF is increased in the left prefrontal cortex, the left amygdala, and the left medial thalamus and decreased in the caudate during the depressed phase of FPDD. To distinguish the correlates of the depressive state from trait-abnormalities that may- underlie the tendency to become depressed, we will employ a longitudinal design in -which subjects are imaged in the unmedicated-depressed, medicated-depressed (after 2 weeks of antidepressant drug treatment), medicated-remitted (after 8 weeks of treatment), and unmedicated-remitted phases (14-24 mos. after the baseline scan). Intrasubject paired comparisons of the PET scans obtained in these four phases will also be used to examine the effects of antidepressant drugs on regional blood flow and metabolism. The physiologic measurements in the primary regions of interest will be accurately assessed using PET and magnetic resonance image (MRI) data for colocation and for correction for potential anatomical differences (related to affective disease or drug treatment) using an algorithm which assesses BF and metabolism per unit volume of tissue.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
5R29MH051137-04
Application #
2675130
Study Section
Clinical Neuroscience and Biological Psychopathology Review Committee (CNBP)
Project Start
1995-09-30
Project End
2000-04-30
Budget Start
1998-05-01
Budget End
1999-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
053785812
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Drevets, Wayne C; Price, Joseph L; Bardgett, Mark E et al. (2002) Glucose metabolism in the amygdala in depression: relationship to diagnostic subtype and plasma cortisol levels. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 71:431-47
Drevets, Wayne C; Bogers, Wendy; Raichle, Marcus E (2002) Functional anatomical correlates of antidepressant drug treatment assessed using PET measures of regional glucose metabolism. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 12:527-44
Cidis Meltzer, C; Drevets, W C; Price, J C et al. (2001) Gender-specific aging effects on the serotonin 1A receptor. Brain Res 895:9-17
Drevets, W C; Frank, E; Price, J C et al. (2000) Serotonin type-1A receptor imaging in depression. Nucl Med Biol 27:499-507
Drevets, W C; Frank, E; Price, J C et al. (1999) PET imaging of serotonin 1A receptor binding in depression. Biol Psychiatry 46:1375-87
Ongur, D; Drevets, W C; Price, J L (1998) Glial reduction in the subgenual prefrontal cortex in mood disorders. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95:13290-5