Positron Emission Tomography Assessment of Ketamine Binding of the Serotonin Transporter

Positron Emission Tomography Assessment of Ketamine Binding of the Serotonin Transporter and Its Relevance for Rapid Antidepressant Response

The study at hand is the first to investigate ketamine's SERT binding in humans, by utilizing the highly selective SERT radioligand [11C]DASB and positron emission tomography.

Intravenous application of ketamine is currently dramatically gaining in significance as a rapid and highly effective antidepressant treatment option. Ketamine modulates various neurotransmitter systems, though the mechanisms responsible for its antidepressant effects remain unkownn. However, the serotonin transporter (SERT) presents a target of high interest due to the SERT's fundamental role in depression's pathophysiology as well as in antidepressant response. The study at hand is the first to investigate ketamine's SERT binding in humans, by utilizing the highly selective SERT radioligand [11C]DASB and positron emission tomography. Further, investigation of severely depressed patients provides the unique opportunity to establish the relationship between ketamine's SERT binding and its antidepressant efficacy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-55 years
• somatic health
• severe unipolar depression according to DSM-IV (SCID) und HAM-D (for patients)
• capable of giving informed consent
• negative pregnancy test (females)

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe somatic illness
• psychiatric disorder (for healthy controls)
• an axis I comorbidity other than MDD , other than anxiety symptoms (for patients)
• clinically relevant alterations in blood draw, ecg, and somatic testing
• substance dependency disorder
• intake of psychopharmacological medication in last 6 months
• first degree relative with Axis 1 disorder (for Pilot I study)