Progress in the application of molecular imaging inpsychiatric disorders

Psychiatric disorders have always attracted a lot of attention from researchers due to the difficulties in their diagnoses and treatments.Molecular imaging,as an emerging technology,has played an important role in the researchers of various diseases.In recent years,molecular imaging techniques including magnetic resonance spectroscopy,nuclear medicine imaging,and fluorescence imaging have been widely used in the study of psychiatric disorders.This review will briefly summarize the progression of molecular imaging in psychiatric disorders.

Development of ^(18)F-labeled radiotracers for neuroreceptor imaging with positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography （PET） is an in vivo molecular imaging tool which is widely used in nuclear medicine for early diagnosis and treatment follow-up of many brain diseases. PET uses biomolecules as probes which are labeled with radionuclides of short half-lives, synthesized prior to the imaging studies. These probes are called radiotracers. Fluorine-18 is a radionuclide routinely used in the radiolabeling of neuroreceptor ligands for PET because of its favorable half-life of 109.8 min. The delivery of such radiotracers into the brain provides images of transport, metabolic, and neurotransmission processes on the molecular level. After a short introduction into the principles of PET, this review mainly focuses on the strategy of radiotracer development bridging from basic science to biomedical application. Successful radiotracer design as described here provides molecular probes which not only are useful for imaging of human brain diseases, but also allow molecular neuroreceptor imaging studies in various small-animal models of disease, including genetically- engineered animals. Furthermore, they provide a powerful tool for in vivo pharmacology during the process of pre-clinical drug development to identify new drug targets, to investigate pathophysiology, to discover potential drug candidates, and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs in vivo.

Structural,Functional,and Molecular Imaging of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder(ASD)is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with both genetic and environmental risks.Neuroimaging approaches have been widely employed to parse the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ASD,and provide critical insights into the anatomical,functional,and neurochemical changes.We reviewed recent advances in neuroimaging studies that focused on ASD by using magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),positron emission tomography(PET),or single-positron emission tomography(SPECT).Longitudinal structural MRI has delineated an abnormal developmental trajectory of ASD that is associated with cascading neurobiological processes,and functional MRI has pointed to disrupted functional neural networks.Meanwhile,PET and SPECT imaging have revealed that metabolic and neurotransmitter abnormalities may contribute to shaping the aberrant neural circuits of ASD.Future large-scale,multi-center,multimodal investigations are essential to elucidate the neurophysiological underpinnings of ASD,and facilitate the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers and better-targeted therapy.

PET分子影像学研究进展

正电子发射断层(PET)分子影像学是分子影像学的重要内容。本文主要阐述PET分子影像学技术的理论基础及其在蛋白质功能、基因表达与基因治疗、受体显像及血流代谢显像方面应用的最新进展。

正电子发射计算机断层显像在精神疾病中的应用研究及进展

精神疾病是一类功能性脑疾病,其发病率的不断增加而受到日益关注。选择合适的研究方法对精神疾病进行发病机制、诊断治疗的研究已成为医学研究的热点课题。正电子发射型计算机断层显像以其反映组织细胞血流、代谢、受体密度等分子功能显像的特点在精神疾病研究领域中发挥着独特的作用,尤其在脑神经递质和受体显像方面具有其他非侵入性影像学检查方法所无可比拟的优势。