Decrease in Serotonin Transporter Densities in the Rostral Sector of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, and the Serotonin Transporter Density in the Middle Sector of the Cingulate Cortex Was Negatively Correlated with Pain Score

From: <a href="http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/55/6/945.full">Neuroinflammation in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: An 11C-(R)-PK11195 PET Study</a>

The neuropsychologic symptoms in CFS/ME suggest that the central nervous system is involved in the pathophysiology, and several studies including ours have shown central nervous system abnormalities in CFS/ME patients. Our previous study (<a id="xref-ref-2-1" class="xref-bibr" href="http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/55/6/945.full#ref-2">2</a>) with PET showed hypoperfusion and reduction of biosynthesis of neurotransmitters such as glutamate, aspartate, and γ-aminobutyric acid through acetylcarnitine in the frontal, cingulate, temporal, and occipital cortices; basal ganglia; and hippocampus in CFS/ME patients. CFS/ME patients also had a decrease in serotonin transporter densities in the rostral sector of the anterior cingulate cortex, and the serotonin transporter density in the middle sector of the cingulate cortex was negatively correlated with pain score (<a id="xref-ref-3-1" class="xref-bibr" href="http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/55/6/945.full#ref-3">3</a>). Furthermore, our voxel-based morphometry studies demonstrated volume reduction of the bilateral prefrontal cortices in CFS/ME patients, and the volume reduction level in the right prefrontal cortex was associated with the severity of fatigue (<a id="xref-ref-4-1" class="xref-bibr" href="http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/55/6/945.full#ref-4">4</a>).