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Inflammation may play a role in the development of epilepsy after brain insults. [11C]-(R)-PK11195 binds to TSPO, expressed by activated microglia. We quantified [11C]-(R)-PK11195 binding during epileptogenesis after pilocarpineinduced status epilepticus (SE), a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Nine male rats were studied thrice (D0-1, D0+6, D0+35, D0=SE induction). In the same session, 7T T2-weighted images and DTI for mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were acquired, followed by dynamic PET/CT. On D0+35, femoral arterial blood was sampled for rat-specific metabolite-corrected arterial plasma input functions (AIFs). In multiple MR-derived ROIs, we assessed four kinetic models (two with AIFs; two using a reference region), standard uptake values (SUVs), and a model with a mean AIF. All models showed large (up to two-fold) and significant TSPO binding increases in regions expected to be affected, and comparatively little change in the brainstem, at D0+6. Some individuals showed increases at D0+35. AIF models yielded more consistent increases at D0+6. FA values were decreased at D0+6 and had recovered by D0+35. MD was increased at D0+6 and more so at D0+35. [11C]-(R)-PK11195 PET binding and MR biomarker changes could be detected with only nine rats, highlighting the potential of longitudinal imaging studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, administration of benzodiazepines (BZD) has been shown to have an asymmetrical effect on the medial olivocochlear system. Indeed, a decrease of evoked otoacoustic emission suppression by contralateral acoustic stimulation, which explores the medial olivocochlear efferent system, was observed in the right ear, with no left ear effect. This result suggests a possible left-right auditory pathway BZD receptor asymmetry. Given the anatomical link between auditory centers and the medial olivocochlear system, the existence of a larger volume of cortical connecting fibers in the left hemisphere, and the possible link between BZD receptor density and neuronal density, we tested the hypothesis of an asymmetrical localization of BZD receptors in the auditory system in 10 right-handed subjects using [11C]flumazenil positron emission tomography. Semi-quantitative measurements of flumazenil binding were evaluated in Heschl's gyrus showing a left-right asymmetry in favor of left auditory cortex. This result indicates a higher density of neurons in left auditory cortex. The possible link between neurochemical asymmetry and functional asymmetry, and the perceptual outcome of BZD administration, will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Previous Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies of 5-HT1A receptors have shown an influence of several genetic factors, including the triallelic serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region on the binding potential (BPND) of these receptors. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between a 5-HT1A promoter polymorphism and the binding potential of another selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, [18F]MPPF, in healthy subjects. Methods Thirty-five volunteers, including 23 women, underwent an [18F]MPPF scan and were genotyped for both the C(-1019)G 5-HT1A promoter polymorphism and the triallelic serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region. We used a simplified reference tissue model to generate parametric images of BPND. Whole brain Statistical Parametric Mapping and raphe nuclei region of interest analyses were performed to look for an association of [18F]MPPF BPND with the C(-1019)G 5-HT1A promoter polymorphism. Results Among the 35 subjects, 5-HT1A promoter genotypes occurred with the following frequencies: three G/G, twenty-one G/C, and eleven C/C. No difference of [18F]MPPF BPND between groups was observed, except for two women who were homozygote carriers for the G allele and showed greater binding potential compared to other age-matched women over the frontal and temporal neocortex. However, the biological relevance of this result remains uncertain due to the very small number of subjects with a G/G genotype. These findings were not modified by excluding individuals carrying the S/S genotype of the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region. Conclusions We failed to observe an association between the C(-1019)G 5-HT1A promoter polymorphism and [18F]MPPF binding in healthy subjects. However our data suggest that the small number of women homozygote for the G allele might have greater [18F]MPPF BPND relative to other individuals. This finding should be confirmed in a larger sample.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter involved in many physiological and pathological mechanisms through its numerous receptors. Among these, the 5-HT 2B receptor is known to play a key role in multiple brain disorders but remains poorly understood. Positron emission tomography (PET) can contribute to a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms regulated by the 5-HT 2B receptor. To develop the first PET radiotracer for the 5-HT 2B receptor, RS-127445, a well-known 5-HT 2B receptor antagonist, was labeled with fluorine-18. [ 18 F]RS-127445 was synthesized in a high radiochemical purity and with a good molar activity and radiochemical yield. Preliminary PET scans in rats showed good brain penetration of [ 18 F]RS-127445. However, competition experiments and in vitro autoradiography showed high non-specific binding, especially to brain white matter., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Estimates suggest that approximatively 25% of the world population will be overweight in 2025. Better understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity will help to develop future therapeutics. Serotonin subtype 6 receptors (5-HT 6 ) have been shown to be critically involved in appetite reduction and weight loss. However, it is not known if the pathological cascade triggered by obesity modifies the density of 5-HT 6 receptors in the brain., Methods: Influence of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in Wistar rats was explored using MRI (whole-body fat) and PET ([ 18 F]2FNQ1P as a specific 5-HT 6 radiotracer). The primary goal was to monitor the 5-HT 6 receptor density before and after a 10-week diet (DIO group). The secondary goal was to compare 5-HT 6 receptor densities between DIO group, Wistar control diet group, Zucker rats (with genetic obesity) and Zucker lean strain rats., Results: Wistar rats fed with high-fat diet showed higher body fat gain than Wistar control diet rats on MRI. [ 18 F]2FNQ1P PET analysis highlighted significant clusters of voxels (located in hippocampus, striatum, cingulate, temporal cortex and brainstem) with increased binding after high-fat diet (p < 0.05, FWE corrected)., Conclusion: This study sheds a new light on the influence of high-fat diet on 5-HT 6 receptors. This study also positions [ 18 F]2FNQ1P PET as an innovative tool to explore neuronal consequences of obesity or eating disorder pathophysiology., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: [ 18 F]F13640 is a new PET radiopharmaceutical for brain molecular imaging of serotonin 5-HT 1A receptors. Since we intend to use this radiopharmaceutical in psychiatric studies, it is crucial to establish possible sensitivity modification of 5-HT 1A receptors availability during an acute stress exposure. In this study, we first assessed the cerebrometabolic effects of a new animal model of stress with [ 18 F]FDG and then proceeded to test for effects of this model on the cerebral binding of [ 18 F]F13640, a 5-HT 1A receptors PET radiopharmaceutical., Methods: Four groups of male Sprague-Dawley were used to identify the optimal model: "stressed group" (n = 10), "post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) group" (n = 9) and "restraint group" (n = 8), compared with a control group (n = 8). All rats performed neuroimaging [ 18 F]FDG μPET-CT to decipher which model was the most appropriate to test effects of stress on radiotracer binding. Subsequently, a group of rats (n = 10) underwent two PET imaging acquisitions (baseline and PTSD condition) using the PET radiopharmaceutical [ 18 F]F13640 to assess influence of stress on its binding. Voxel-based analysis was performed to assess [ 18 F]FDG or [ 18 F]F13640 changes., Results: In [ 18 F]FDG experiments, the PTSD group showed a pattern of cerebrometabolic activation in various brain regions previously implicated in stress (amygdala, perirhinal cortex, olfactory bulb and caudate). [ 18 F]F13640 PET scans showed increased radiotracer binding in the PTSD condition in caudate nucleus and brainstem., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated stress-induced cerebrometabolic activation or inhibition of various brain regions involved in stress model. Applying this model to our radiotracer, [ 18 F]F13640 showed few influence of stress on its binding. This will enable to rule out any confounding effect of stress during imaging studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Neuronal inhibition, primarily mediated by GABAergic neurotransmission, is crucial for brain development and healthy cognition. Gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration levels in sensory areas have been shown to correlate with hemodynamic and oscillatory neuronal responses. How these measures relate to one another during working memory, a higher-order cognitive process, is still poorly understood. We address this gap by collecting magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and Flumazenil positron emission tomography data within the same subject cohort using an n-back working-memory paradigm. By probing the relationship between GABAA receptor distribution, neural oscillations, and Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) modulations, we found that GABAA receptor density in higher-order cortical areas predicted the reaction times on the working-memory task and correlated positively with the peak frequency of gamma power modulations and negatively with BOLD amplitude. These findings support and extend theories linking gamma oscillations and hemodynamic responses to gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission and to the excitation-inhibition balance and cognitive performance in humans. Considering the small sample size of the study, future studies should test whether these findings also hold for other, larger cohorts as well as to examine in detail how the GABAergic system and neural fluctuations jointly support working-memory task performance., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Objective: Normal interictal [ 18 F]FDG-PET can be predicted from the corresponding T1w MRI with Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). A technique we call SIPCOM (Subtraction Interictal PET Co-registered to MRI) can then be used to compare epilepsy patients' predicted and clinical PET. We assessed the ability of SIPCOM to identify the Resection Zone (RZ) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) with reference to visual and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis., Methods: Patients with complete presurgical work-up and subsequent SEEG and cortectomy were included. RZ localisation, the reference region, was assigned to one of eighteen anatomical brain regions. SIPCOM was implemented using healthy controls to train a GAN. To compare, the clinical PET coregistered to MRI was visually assessed by two trained readers, and a standard SPM analysis was performed., Results: Twenty patients aged 17-50 (32 ± 7.8) years were included, 14 (70%) with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Eight (40%) were MRI-negative. After surgery, 14 patients (70%) had a good outcome (Engel I-II). RZ localisation rate was 60% with SIPCOM vs 35% using SPM (P = 0.015) and vs 85% using visual analysis (P = 0.54). Results were similar for Engel I-II patients, the RZ localisation rate was 64% with SIPCOM vs 36% with SPM. With SIPCOM localisation was correct in 67% in MRI-positive vs 50% in MRI-negative patients, and 64% in TLE vs 43% in extra-TLE. The average number of false-positive clusters was 2.2 ± 1.3 using SIPCOM vs 2.3 ± 3.1 using SPM. All RZs localized with SPM were correctly localized with SIPCOM. In one case, PET and MRI were visually reported as negative, but both SIPCOM and SPM localized the RZ., Significance: SIPCOM performed better than the reference computer-assisted method (SPM) for RZ detection in a group of operated DRE patients. SIPCOM's impact on epilepsy management needs to be prospectively validated., (© 2023 The Authors. Epilepsia Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)

Introduction: Ketamine, a glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist, is suggested to act very rapidly and durably on the depressive symptoms including treatment-resistant patients but its mechanisms of action remain unclear. There is a requirement for non-invasive biomarkers, such as imaging techniques, which hold promise in monitoring and elucidating its therapeutic impact., Methods: We explored the glucose metabolism with [ 18 F]FDG positron emission tomography (PET) in ten male rats in a longitudinal study designed to compare imaging patterns immediately after acute subanaesthetic ketamine injection (i.p. 10 mg/kg) with its sustained effects, 5 days later. Changes in [ 18 F]FDG uptake following ketamine administration were estimated using a voxel-based analysis with SPM12 software, and a region of interest (ROI) analysis. A metabolic connectivity analysis was also conducted to estimate the immediate and delayed effects of ketamine on the inter-individual metabolic covariance between the ROIs., Results: No significant difference was observed in brain glucose metabolism immediately following acute subanaesthetic ketamine injection. However, a significant decrease of glucose uptake appeared 5 days later, reflecting a sustained and delayed effect of ketamine in the frontal and the cingulate cortex. An increase in the raphe, caudate and cerebellum was also measured. Moreover, metabolic connectivity analyses revealed a significant decrease between the hippocampus and the thalamus at day 5 compared to the baseline., Discussion: This study showed that the differences in metabolic profiles appeared belatedly, 5 days after ketamine administration, particularly in the cortical regions. Finally, this methodology will help to characterize the effects of future molecules for the treatment of treatment resistant depression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chaib, Bouillot, Bouvard, Vidal, Zimmer and Levigoureux.)

Task-free functional connectivity in animal models provides an experimental framework to examine connectivity phenomena under controlled conditions and allows for comparisons with data modalities collected under invasive or terminal procedures. Currently, animal acquisitions are performed with varying protocols and analyses that hamper result comparison and integration. Here we introduce StandardRat, a consensus rat functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisition protocol tested across 20 centers. To develop this protocol with optimized acquisition and processing parameters, we initially aggregated 65 functional imaging datasets acquired from rats across 46 centers. We developed a reproducible pipeline for analyzing rat data acquired with diverse protocols and determined experimental and processing parameters associated with the robust detection of functional connectivity across centers. We show that the standardized protocol enhances biologically plausible functional connectivity patterns relative to previous acquisitions. The protocol and processing pipeline described here is openly shared with the neuroimaging community to promote interoperability and cooperation toward tackling the most important challenges in neuroscience., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

We present a database of cerebral PET FDG and anatomical MRI for 37 normal adult human subjects (CERMEP-IDB-MRXFDG). Thirty-nine participants underwent static [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT and MRI, resulting in [ 18 F]FDG PET, T1 MPRAGE MRI, FLAIR MRI, and CT images. Two participants were excluded after visual quality control. We describe the acquisition parameters, the image processing pipeline and provide participants' individual demographics (mean age 38 ± 11.5 years, range 23-65, 20 women). Volumetric analysis of the 37 T1 MRIs showed results in line with the literature. A leave-one-out assessment of the 37 FDG images using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) yielded a low number of false positives after exclusion of artefacts. The database is stored in three different formats, following the BIDS common specification: (1) DICOM (data not processed), (2) NIFTI (multimodal images coregistered to PET subject space), (3) NIFTI normalized (images normalized to MNI space). Bona fide researchers can request access to the database via a short form., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to perform in-vitro and in-vivo radiopharmacological characterizations of [ 18 F]2FNQ1P, a new PET radiotracer of 5-HT 6 receptors, in rat, pig, non-human primate and human tissues. The 5-HT 6 receptor is one of the more recently identified serotonin receptors in central nervous system and, because of its role in memory and cognitive processes, is considered as a promising therapeutic target., Methods: In-vitro autoradiography and saturation binding assays were performed in postmortem brain tissues from rat, pig, non-human primate and human caudate nucleus, completed by serum stability assessment in all species and cerebral radiometabolite and biodistribution studies in rat., Results: In all species, autoradiography data revealed high binding levels of [ 18 F]2FNQ1P in cerebral regions with high 5-HT 6 receptor density. Binding was blocked by addition of SB258585 as a specific antagonist. Binding assays provided K D and B max values of respectively 1.34 nM and 0.03 pmol·mg - 1 in rat, 0.60 nM and 0.04 pmol·mg - 1 in pig, 1.38 nM and 0.07 pmol·mg - 1 in non-human primate, and 1.39 nM and 0.15 pmol·mg - 1 in human caudate nucleus. In rat brain, the proportion of unmetabolized [ 18 F]2FNQ1P was >99% 5 min after iv injection and 89% at 40 min. The biodistribution studies found maximal radioactivity in lungs and kidneys (3.5 ± 1.2% ID/g and 2.0 ± 0.7% ID/g, respectively, 15 min post-injection)., Conclusion: These radiopharmacological data confirm that [ 18 F]2FNQ1P is a specific radiotracer for molecular imaging of 5-HT 6 receptors and suggest that it could be used as a radiopharmaceutical in humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The 5-HT6 receptor is one of the most recently identified serotonin receptors in the central nervous system. Because of its role in memory and cognitive process, this receptor might be implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and associated disorders., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the binding of [18F]2FNQ1P, a new specific radiotracer of 5-HT6 receptors, and to quantify 5-HT6 receptor density in caudate nucleus in a population of patients with different AD stages., Methods: Patients were classified according to the "ABC" NIA-AA classification. In vitro binding assays were performed in postmortem brain tissue from the healthy control (HC; n = 8) and severe AD ("High"; n = 8) groups. In vitro quantitative autoradiography was performed in human brain tissue (caudate nucleus) from patients with different stages of AD: HC (n = 15), "Low" (n = 18), "Int" (n = 20), and "High" (n = 15)., Results: In vitro binding assays did not show significant differences for the KD and Bmax parameters between "High" and HC groups. In vitro quantitative autoradiography showed a significant difference between the "High" and HC groups (p = 0.0025). We also showed a progressive diminution in [18F]2FNQ1P specific binding, which parallels 5-HT6 receptors expression, according to increasing AD stage. Significant differences were observed between the HC group and all AD stages combined ("Low", "Intermediate", and "High") (p = 0.011)., Conclusion: This study confirms the interest of investigating the role of 5-HT6 receptors in AD and related disorders. [18F]2FNQ1P demonstrated specific binding to 5-HT6 receptors.

Purpose: FDG PET is an established tool in presurgical epilepsy evaluation, but it is most often used selectively in patients with discordant MRI and EEG results. Interpretation is complicated by the presence of remote or multiple areas of hypometabolism, which leads to doubt as to the true location of the seizure onset zone (SOZ) and might have implications for predicting the surgical outcome. In the current study, we determined the sensitivity and specificity of PET localization prospectively in a consecutive unselected cohort of patients with focal epilepsy undergoing in-depth presurgical evaluation., Methods: A total of 130 patients who underwent PET imaging between 2006 and 2015 matched our inclusion criteria, and of these, 86 were operated on (72% with a favourable surgical outcome, Engel class I). Areas of focal hypometabolism were identified using statistical parametric mapping and concordance with MRI, EEG and intracranial EEG was evaluated. In the surgically treated patients, postsurgical outcome was used as the gold standard for correctness of localization (minimum follow-up 12 months)., Results: PET sensitivity and specificity were both 95% in 86 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 80% and 95%, respectively, in 44 patients with extratemporal epilepsy (ETLE). Significant extratemporal hypometabolism was observed in 17 TLE patients (20%). Temporal hypometabolism was observed in eight ETLE patients (18%). Among the 86 surgically treated patients, 26 (30%) had hypometabolism extending beyond the SOZ. The presence of unilobar hypometabolism, included in the resection, was predictive of complete seizure control (p = 0.007), with an odds ratio of 5.4., Conclusion: Additional hypometabolic areas were found in one of five of this group of nonselected patients with focal epilepsy, including patients with "simple" lesional epilepsy, and this finding should prompt further in-depth evaluation of the correlation between EEG findings, semiology and PET. Hypometabolism confined to the epileptogenic zone as defined by EEG and MRI is associated with a favourable postoperative outcome in both TLE and ETLE patients.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in both military and civilian populations, and often results in neurobehavioral sequelae that impair quality of life in both patients and their families. Although individuals who are chronically exposed to stress are more likely to experience TBI, it is still unknown whether pre-injury stress influences the outcome after TBI. The present study tested whether behavioral and cognitive long-term outcome after TBI in rats is affected by prior exposure to an innate stress stimulus. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the predator odor 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) or to water (WAT); exposure was repeated eight times at irregular intervals over a 2-week period. Rats were subsequently subjected to either mild-to-moderate bilateral brain injury (lateral fluid percussion [LFP]) or sham surgery (Sham). Four experimental groups were studied: Sham-WAT, Sham-TMT, LFP-WAT and LFP-TMT. Compared with Sham-WAT rats, LFP-WAT rats exhibited transient locomotor hyperactivity without signs of anxiety, minor spatial learning acquisition and hippocampal long-term potentiation deficits, and lower baseline activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with slightly stronger reactivity to restraint stress. Exposure to TMT had only negligible effects on Sham rats, whereas it exacerbated all deficits in LFP rats except for locomotor hyperactivity. Early brain inflammatory response (8 h post-trauma) was aggravated in rats pre-exposed to TMT, suggesting that increased brain inflammation may sustain functional deficits in these rats. Hence, these data suggest that pre-exposure to stressful conditions can aggravate long-term deficits induced by TBI, leading to severe stress response deficits, possibly due to dysregulated inflammatory response.

Inflammation may play a role in the development of epilepsy after brain insults. [ 11 C]-( R)-PK11195 binds to TSPO, expressed by activated microglia. We quantified [ 11 C]-( R)-PK11195 binding during epileptogenesis after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE), a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Nine male rats were studied thrice (D0-1, D0 + 6, D0 + 35, D0 = SE induction). In the same session, 7T T2-weighted images and DTI for mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were acquired, followed by dynamic PET/CT. On D0 + 35, femoral arterial blood was sampled for rat-specific metabolite-corrected arterial plasma input functions (AIFs). In multiple MR-derived ROIs, we assessed four kinetic models (two with AIFs; two using a reference region), standard uptake values (SUVs), and a model with a mean AIF. All models showed large (up to two-fold) and significant TSPO binding increases in regions expected to be affected, and comparatively little change in the brainstem, at D0 + 6. Some individuals showed increases at D0 + 35. AIF models yielded more consistent increases at D0 + 6. FA values were decreased at D0 + 6 and had recovered by D0 + 35. MD was increased at D0 + 6 and more so at D0 + 35. [ 11 C]-( R)-PK11195 PET binding and MR biomarker changes could be detected with only nine rats, highlighting the potential of longitudinal imaging studies.

Objective: Interictal [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is used in the presurgical evaluation of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. We aimed at clarifying its relationships with ictal high-frequency oscillations (iHFOs) shown to be a relevant marker of the seizure-onset zone., Methods: We studied the correlation between FDG-PET and epileptogenicity maps in an unselected series of 37 successive patients having been explored with stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG)., Results: At the group level, we found a significant correlation between iHFOs and FDG-PET interictal hypometabolism only in cases of temporal lobe epilepsy. This correlation was found with HFOs, and the same comparison between FDG-PET and ictal SEEG power of lower frequencies during the same epochs did not show the same significance., Significance: This finding suggests that interictal FDG-PET and ictal HFOs may share common underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of ictogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy, and combining both features may help to identify the seizure-onset zone., (© 2016 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)

High-frequency oscillations in the gamma-band reflect rhythmic synchronization of spike timing in active neural networks. The modulation of gamma oscillations is a widely established mechanism in a variety of neurobiological processes, yet its neurochemical basis is not fully understood. Modeling, in-vitro and in-vivo animal studies suggest that gamma oscillation properties depend on GABAergic inhibition. In humans, search for evidence linking total GABA concentration to gamma oscillations has led to promising -but also to partly diverging- observations. Here, we provide the first evidence of a direct relationship between the density of GABA(A) receptors and gamma oscillatory gamma responses in human primary visual cortex (V1). By combining Flumazenil-PET (to measure resting-levels of GABA(A) receptor density) and MEG (to measure visually-induced gamma oscillations), we found that GABA(A) receptor densities correlated positively with the frequency and negatively with amplitude of visually-induced gamma oscillations in V1. Our findings demonstrate that gamma-band response profiles of primary visual cortex across healthy individuals are shaped by GABA(A)-receptor-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission. These results bridge the gap with in-vitro and animal studies and may have future clinical implications given that altered GABAergic function, including dysregulation of GABA(A) receptors, has been related to psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and depression.

Background: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs) represent a prevalent cause of epileptogenic brain tumors, the natural evolution of which is much more benign than that of most gliomas. Previous studies have suggested that [(11)C]methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) could help to distinguish DNTs from other epileptogenic brain tumors, and hence optimize the management of patients. Here, we reassessed the diagnostic accuracy of MET-PET for the differentiation between DNT and other epileptogenic brain neoplasms in a larger population., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 77 patients with focal epilepsy related to a nonrapidly progressing brain tumor on MRI who underwent MET-PET, including 52 with a definite histopathology. MET-PET data were assessed by a structured visual analysis that distinguished normal, moderately abnormal, and markedly abnormal tumor methionine uptake and by semiquantitative ratio measurements., Results: Pathology showed 21 DNTs (40%), 10 gangliogliomas (19%), 19 low-grade gliomas (37%), and 2 high-grade gliomas (4%). MET-PET visual findings significantly differed among the various tumor types (P < .001), as confirmed by semiquantitative analyses (P < .001 for all calculated ratios), regardless of gadolinium enhancement on MRI. All gliomas and gangliogliomas were associated with moderately or markedly increased tumor methionine uptake, whereas 9/21 DNTs had normal methionine uptake. Receiver operating characteristics analysis of the semiquantitative ratios showed an optimal cutoff threshold that distinguished DNTs from other tumor types with 90% specificity and 89% sensitivity., Conclusions: Normal MET-PET findings in patients with an epileptogenic nonrapidly progressing brain tumor are highly suggestive of DNT, whereas a markedly increased tumor methionine uptake makes this diagnosis unlikely., (© The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)