Study: PET imaging agent could help predict depression drug’s efficacy

Image courtesy of Mala Ananth

Researchers have identified a positron emission tomography imaging agent that could identify the patients that are more likely to benefit from a drug designed to treat major depressive disorder, according to a study published this month in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

The C-DASB tracer targets a protein, 5-HTT, found in the part of a person’s brain that is responsible for emotional processing, called the amygdala. Escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is indicated for people with depression, but it doesn’t work for all patients. Scanning a person’s brain to measure their 5-HTT level could help doctors determine if a patient will benefit from treatment with escitalopram, the researchers reported.

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