Identifying Correlates of Brain Microglial Activation in Neuropsychiatric Syndromes: a Dimensional Approach
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Summary
The purpose of this research is to determine whether there is more extensive inflammation in the brain of people with clinical evidence of neuropsychiatric syndromes, such as mood disorder, chronic pain syndrome, dementia, traumatic brain injury, or substance abuse. The research will also explore whether there is more inflammation in patients with more neuropsychiatric symptoms. Inflammation in the brain will identified by using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with the radiotracer \[11C\]PBR-28 or \[11C\]ER176.
Description
This study will explore whether brain microglial activation (which leads to an inflammatory response) is more extensive in individuals with clinical evidence of neuropsychiatric syndromes and whether the extent of microglial activation is proportional to the extent of neuropsychiatric symptoms. More specifically, the hypothesis is that: 1. Brain microglial activation is more substantial in the presence of neuropsychiatric illness, and the extent of brain microglial activation is proportional to severity of phenotypic presentation of neuropsychiatric illness (i.e. depression, cognitive impair…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Must be between 18-80 years old * Males or females * Must be right handed * Must be able to sit unaccompanied for long periods of time with little body movement * Must be illicit drug free at time of scanning as appropriate (UDS negative), * Must be either healthy (without medical, neurological, psychiatric illness) or have a diagnosis of a neuropsychiatric syndrome (mood disorder, chronic pain syndrome, dementias, traumatic brain injury, substance/alcohol use disorder). * Healthy Control volunteers must be medication free (≥ 14 days) * Illicit drug free at time of scann…
Interventions
- DrugPET with radiotracer [11C]PBR-28 ( or [11C]ER176)
\[11C\]PBR-28 or \[11C\]ER176 will be injected into subjects' veins during PET scanning.
- OtherAffective challenge
Affective challenge is the induction of, for example, mood or affective pain.
Location
- BBSB at UTHealthHouston, Texas