Citation

Stockmeier CA, Shi X, Konick L, Overholser JC, Jurjus G, Meltzer HY, Friedman L, Blier P, Rajkowska G. Neuroreport 2002; 13(9): 1223-1227.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/00001756-200207020-00031

PMID

12151774

Abstract

Treatment with an antagonist at the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor may alleviate depression, however the brain region(s) in which the NK-1 receptor antagonist exerts its therapeutic effect is unknown. [125I]BH-Substance P was used to measure NK-1 receptors postmortem in cytoarchitectonically defined areas of rostral orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann's area 47) of subjects with major depressive disorder (n = 12, six females) and psychiatrically normal subjects (n = 11, five females). Six subjects with depression died by suicide. Subjects with depression showed decreased binding to NK-1 receptors across all cortical layers (p = 0.024). The pathophysiology of depression, and the reported therapeutic benefit of NK-1 receptor antagonists, may thus involve NK-1 receptors in prefrontal cortex.

Language: en

Keywords

Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Binding Sites; Binding, Competitive; Brain Chemistry; Depressive Disorder, Major; Down-Regulation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; Neurons; Prefrontal Cortex; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Neurokinin-1; Substance P; Suicide