Publication
Title
Perspective : solving the heterogeneity conundrum of TSPO PET imaging in psychosis
Author
Abstract
Positron emission tomography using ligands targeting translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO PET) is an innovative method to visualize and quantify glial inflammatory responses in the central nervous system in vivo. Compared to some other neuropsychiatric disorders, findings of TSPO PET in schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders have been considerably more heterogeneous. Two conflicting meta-analyses have been published on the topic within the last year: one asserting evidence for decreased TSPO uptake, while the other observed increased TSPO uptake in a selection of studies. In this paper, we review and discuss five hypotheses which may explain the observed variability of TSPO PET findings in psychotic illness, namely that (1) an inflammatory phenotype is only present in a subgroup of psychosis patients; (2) heterogeneity is caused by interference of antipsychotic medication; (3) interference of other clinical confounders in the study populations (such as age, sex, BMI, smoking, and substance use); or (4) methodological variability between studies (such as choice of tracer and kinetic model, genotyping, study power, and diurnal effects); and (5) the glial responses underlying changes in TSPO expression are themselves heterogeneous and dynamic. Finally, we propose four key recommendations for future research proposals to mitigate these different causes of heterogeneity.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Frontiers in psychiatry / Frontiers Research Foundation (Lausanne, Switzerland) - Lausanne, 2010, currens
Publication
Lausanne : Frontiers Research Foundation , 2020
ISSN
1664-0640
DOI
10.3389/FPSYT.2020.00362
Volume/pages
11 (2020) , 9 p.
Article Reference
362
ISI
000536058400001
Pubmed ID
32425835
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 28.09.2021
Last edited 17.12.2024
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