biostudies-literatureRossano SNCRR NIH HHSNHLBI NIH HHSFoundation for the National Institutes of HealthNIMH NIH HHSNIH HHS3679-3691https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9826644biostudies-literatureUnknown49(11)<h4>Purpose</h4>Exploring synaptic density changes during brain growth is crucial to understanding brain development. Previous studies in nonhuman primates report a rapid increase in synapse number between the late gestational period and the early neonatal period, such that synaptic density approaches adult levels by birth. Prenatal synaptic development may have an enduring impact on postnatal brain development, but precisely how synaptic density changes in utero are unknown because current methods to quantify synaptic density are invasive and require post-mortem brain tissue.<h4>Methods</h4>We used synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands [¹¹C]UCB-J and [¹⁸F]Syn-VesT-1 to conduct the first assessment of synaptic density European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imagingImaging the fetal nonhuman primate brain with SV2A positron emission tomography (PET).PMC9826644S10 OD016261U42 OD027094R24 HL085794S10 RR025063R21 MH120615P51 OD011107S10 RR029245Kukis DTarantal AFBenveniste HLorence IYe YFowles KToyonaga TRopchan JFelchner ZLi SHuang YNabulsi NGroman SCarson REBerg ERossano SfalseImaging the fetal nonhuman primate brain with SV2A positron emission tomography (PET).<h4>Purpose</h4>Exploring synaptic density changes during brain growth is crucial to understanding brain development. Previous studies in nonhuman primates report a rapid increase in synapse number between the late gestational period and the early neonatal period, such that synaptic density approaches adult levels by birth. Prenatal synaptic development may have an enduring impact on postnatal brain development, but precisely how synaptic density changes in utero are unknown because current methods to quantify synaptic density are invasive and require post-mortem brain tissue.<h4>Methods</h4>We used synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands [¹¹C]UCB-J and [¹⁸F]Syn-VesT-1 to conduct the first assessment of synaptic density 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Sep2025-04-05T10:27:06.328Z2025-04-05T10:27:06.328ZS-EPMC98266443563337610.1007/s00259-022-05825-6