Challenges and rewards of in vivo synaptic density imaging, and its application to the study of depression.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2024 Ruth H Asch, Chadi G Abdallah, Richard E Carson et al. 11 citations
A review describes the development of PET radiotracers targeting the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), which allows measurement of synaptic density in living brains. In depression, lower SV2A density is found in people with significant depressive symptoms. A ketamine challenge was used to examine synaptogenesis in vivo. The authors stress the value of combining clinical imaging with animal model studies, presenting preliminary findings from chronic stress models. Methodological challenges and future directions for SV2A imaging, possibly alongside other neural markers, are discussed.