Availability of brain serotonin transporters (5?HTT) is associated with low positive mood in healthy elderly subjects

Abstract

We tried to find any significant correlation between serotonin transporter (5-HTT) availability and depressive symptoms in healthy elderly subjects. 16 healthy elderly subjects (≥ 65 years) who were functioning independently in a community were randomly selected. An iodine-123-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4- iodophenyltropane) [123I]-b-CIT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was administered and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS). Total GDS scores were associated with the V3″ values in dorsal raphe (b = 0.60, t = 2.84, p = 0.01) but not in pons (b = 0.05, t = 0.19, p = 0.85) and medulla (b = 0.06, t = 0.20, p = 0.84). Among five subscale scores of K-GDS, only positive mood scores were significantly associated with the V3″ values in dorsal raphe, while not in pons and medulla. The present study suggests that 5-HTT availability should be involved in dimensional depressive symptoms in a specific brain region in healthy elderly subjects and should be replicated in subsequent adequately-powered and more well-designed studies.