Functional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can be applied to measure pharmacodynamic effects of central nervous system (CNS)-active drugs. The serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), administered together with carbidopa and granisetron to improve kinetics and reduce adverse effects, acutely enhances central serotonergic neurotransmission and induces hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-(HPA) axis activation. We studied the hypothalamic levels of glutamate/glutamine (Glx), choline (Chol), N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and creatine using 7-Tesla (7T) MRS, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in peripheral blood, after the administration of the 5-HTP function test in healthy volunteers.
Hypothalamic glutamate levels following serotonergic stimulation: a pilot study using 7-Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy in healthy volunteers.
CHDR
Jacobs GE, der Grond Jv, Teeuwisse WM, Langeveld TJ, van Pelt J, Verhagen JC, de Kam ML, Cohen AF, Zitman FG, van Gerven JM
