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Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Published in: Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 1/2016

01-03-2016 | Original Article

Increased Brainstem Serotonergic Transporter Availability in Adult Migraineurs: an [18F]FP-CIT PET Imaging Pilot Study

Authors: Eunkyung Park, Yu Mi Hwang, Min Kyung Chu, Ki-Young Jung

Published in: Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

Recent studies have proposed central serotonergic dysfunction as a major pathophysiology of migraine. We investigated serotonin transporter (SERT) availability in migraineurs using F-18-N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane ([18F]FP-CIT) positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods

Brain [18F]FP-CIT PET images were obtained in eight women with migraine during headache free phase and 12 healthy adult women, 120 min after injection of 185 MBq. Non-displaceable binding potential (BP ND) of [18F]FP-CIT, which is an estimate of SERT availability, was calculated at the brainstem and compared with clinical parameters.

Results

BP ND at the brainstem was significantly higher in adult migraineurs (n = 6, 1.15 ± 0.17) than healthy subjects (0.95 ± 0.14) (p = 0.04). Healthy subjects demonstrated negative correlation between brainstem BP ND and age (r = −0.64, p = 0.02), whereas this age-related decline pattern was not found in the migraineurs. Severity of migraine attack was significantly correlated with brainstem BP ND (r = 0.66, p = 0.02), when age and duration of illness were corrected.

Conclusions

Increased SERT availability in the brainstem of adult migraineurs indicates low serotonin neurotransmission during headache-free phase. Patients who experience more painful headaches have lower serotonin neurotransmission. [18F]FP-CIT PET is a useful in vivo imaging technique for evaluating brainstem SERT availability in migraineurs.
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Metadata
Title
Increased Brainstem Serotonergic Transporter Availability in Adult Migraineurs: an [18F]FP-CIT PET Imaging Pilot Study
Authors
Eunkyung Park
Yu Mi Hwang
Min Kyung Chu
Ki-Young Jung
Publication date
01-03-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 1869-3474
Electronic ISSN: 1869-3482
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13139-015-0373-x

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