Can PET/CT imaging advance our understanding of the neurobiology of schizophrenia?

摘要

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. The disorder is ranked among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide. New drugs and therapeutic interventions are therefore warranted to reduce symptomatology, delay onset, or potentially cure this devastating disorder. This would greatly help individuals in the early stages of schizophrenia. Although schizophrenia has a strong genetic basis (80%), owing to the nature of the neurobio-logical and genetic heterogeneity of the disorder, its a etiology has remained elusive. Schizophrenia is characterized by psychotic symptoms, emotional disturbances, and cognitive dysfunction. These symptoms may be the result of dopamine dysregulation in individuals with schizophrenia [1].