SPECT zooms in on causes of social anxiety disorder

Article

Using brain SPECT, Dutch researchers found abnormalities in the brains of individuals with symptoms of social anxiety disorder, a condition that affects an estimated 15 million adults in the U.S.

Dr. Nic J.A. van der Wee and colleagues at Leiden University in the Netherlands used a binding radioactive compound as a tracer to visualize dopamine and serotonin transporters in the brain.

Twelve patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and 12 healthy controls underwent the procedure. In the patients with social anxiety disorder, SPECT revealed modified uptake activity in the thalamus, midbrain, and pons, areas known to be acted upon by serotonin, and in the striatum, an area known to be acted upon by dopamine.

Findings underscored the neurophysiological component of social anxiety (J Nucl Med 2008;49[5]:757-763).

-By H.A. Abella

Recent Videos
Improving Access to Nuclear Imaging: An Interview with SNMMI President Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.