Dopamine Imaging and Function in Schizophrenia
Summary
Schizophrenia is characterised by dysregulation of dopaminergic transmission, particularly within subcortical circuits. Advances in molecular imaging have enabled direct quantification of presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity and receptor availability, offering insights into the anatomical loci and functional dynamics of dopamine dysfunction. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies consistently demonstrate elevated dopamine synthesis capacity in the associative striatum of individuals with first-episode psychosis, while receptor-binding measurements reveal altered D2 receptor availability. Multimodal approaches incorporating magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have uncovered inverse relationships between cortical glutamate concentrations and striatal dopamine synthesis, supporting models in which cortical excitatory–inhibitory imbalance drives subcortical dopaminergic overactivity. Longitudinal imaging has illuminated how dopaminergic indices relate to symptom trajectories and antipsychotic response, suggesting that baseline dopamine synthesis may predict clinical outcome. Together, these findings have propelled the search for reliable biomarkers, informed stratified treatment approaches and fostered translational efforts to develop novel therapeutics targeting presynaptic dysfunction. The integration of imaging modalities continues to refine our understanding of dopaminergic pathophysiology and guide personalised interventions for schizophrenia.
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Dopamine Imaging and Function in Schizophrenia publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dopamine imaging and function in schizophrenia across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Positron emission tomography (PET): A molecular imaging technique that uses radiolabelled tracers to measure biochemical processes in vivo, such as dopamine synthesis or receptor binding.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS): An MRI-based modality that quantifies concentrations of neurochemicals (for example, glutamate) within specific brain regions.
Dopamine synthesis capacity: An index of presynaptic dopamine production, often quantified by the influx rate constant (Kicer) of 18F-DOPA in PET studies.
Striatal subdivisions: Functional compartments of the striatum—associative, limbic and sensorimotor—each with distinct roles in cognition, emotion and motor control.
References
- The relationship between striatal dopamine and anterior cingulate glutamate in first episode psychosis changes with antipsychotic treatment. Translational Psychiatry (2023).
- EANM perspective on clinical PET and SPECT imaging in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (2024).
- The relationship between cortical glutamate and striatal dopamine in first-episode psychosis: a cross-sectional multimodal PET and magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging study. The Lancet Psychiatry (2018).
- Determinants of treatment response in first-episode psychosis: an 18F-DOPA PET study. Molecular Psychiatry (2018).
- Defining the Locus of Dopaminergic Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis and Test of the Mesolimbic Hypothesis. Schizophrenia Bulletin (2017).
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