Kappa opioid receptor availability predicts severity of anhedonia in schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: The kappa opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous agonist dynorphin have been implicated in multiple psychiatric conditions including psychotic disorders. We tested the hypotheses that kappa expression is elevated and associated with psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. We measured kappa expression in unmedicated patients with schizophrenia (7 female, 6 male) and matched controls (7 female, 6 male) with positron emission tomography (PET). We also acquired a measurement of cumulative dopamine activity over the life span in the same subjects using neuromelanin sensitive MRI. We hypothesized that neuromelanin accumulation would be higher in patients than controls and that in patients there would be a positive association between KOR availability and neuromelanin accumulation. Fourteen patien

SUBMITTER: Slifstein M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11480413 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature