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Reduced mu opioid receptor availability in schizophrenia revealed with [11C]-carfentanil positron emission tomographic Imaging

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Listed:
  • Abhishekh H. Ashok

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London
    Kings College London
    Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)

  • Jim Myers

    (Imperial College London)

  • Tiago Reis Marques

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London
    Kings College London)

  • Eugenii A. Rabiner

    (Invicro
    Kings College London)

  • Oliver D. Howes

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London
    Kings College London)

Abstract

Negative symptoms, such as amotivation and anhedonia, are a major cause of functional impairment in schizophrenia. There are currently no licensed treatments for negative symptoms, highlighting the need to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying them. Mu-opioid receptors (MOR) in the striatum play a key role in hedonic processing and reward function and are reduced post-mortem in schizophrenia. However, it is unknown if mu-opioid receptor availability is altered in-vivo or related to negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Using [11 C]-carfentanil positron emission tomography (PET) scans in 19 schizophrenia patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls, here we show a significantly lower MOR availability in patients with schizophrenia in the striatum (Cohen’s d = 0.7), and the hedonic network. In addition, we report a marked global increase in inter-regional covariance of MOR availability in schizophrenia, largely due to increased cortical-subcortical covariance.

Suggested Citation

  • Abhishekh H. Ashok & Jim Myers & Tiago Reis Marques & Eugenii A. Rabiner & Oliver D. Howes, 2019. "Reduced mu opioid receptor availability in schizophrenia revealed with [11C]-carfentanil positron emission tomographic Imaging," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-12366-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12366-4
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