5-HT 1A receptor, 5-HT 2A receptor and serotonin transporter binding in the human auditory cortex in depression

ABSTRACTBackgroundSerotonergic system abnormalities are implicated in many psychiatric disorders, including major depression. The temporal lobe receives a high density of serotonergic afferent projections, and responses in the primary auditory cortex to sound are modulated by serotonergic tone. Howe...

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Published in:Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience 2019-09, Vol.44 (5), p.294-302
Main Authors: Steinberg, Louisa J., MD, PhD, Underwood, Mark D., PhD, Bakalian, Mihran J., BA, Kassir, Suham A., BSc, Mann, J. John, MD, Arango, Victoria, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Medical Education
Psychiatric/Mental Health
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Summary:ABSTRACTBackgroundSerotonergic system abnormalities are implicated in many psychiatric disorders, including major depression. The temporal lobe receives a high density of serotonergic afferent projections, and responses in the primary auditory cortex to sound are modulated by serotonergic tone. However, the associations between changes in serotonergic tone, disease state and changes in auditory cortical function remain to be clarified. MethodsWe quantified serotonin 1A (5-HT 1A) receptor binding, serotonin 2A (5-HT 2A) receptor binding, and serotonin transporter (SERT) binding in Brodmann areas (BA) 41/42, 22, 9 and 4 from postmortem brain sections of 40 psychiatrically healthy controls and 39 individuals who had a history of a major depressive episode (MDE). ResultsThere was 33% lower 5-HT 2A receptor binding in BA 41/42 in individuals who had an MDE than in controls ( p = 0.0069). Neither 5-HT 1A nor SERT binding in BA 41/42 differed between individuals who had an MDE and controls. We also found 14% higher 5-HT 1A receptor binding ( p = 0.045) and 21% lower SERT binding in BA 9 of individuals who had an MDE ( p = 0.045). LimitationsThe study was limited by the small number of postmortem brain samples including BA 41/42 available for binding assays and the large overlap between suicide and depression in the MDE sample. ConclusionDepression may be associated with altered serotonergic function in the auditory cortex involving the 5-HT 2A receptor and is part of a wider view of the pathophysiology of mood disorders extending beyond psychopathology.
ISSN:1180-4882
DOI:10.1503/jpn.180190