Relationships between dopamine D2/3 receptor availability and social-environmental factors in humans

Katina C Calakos; Aleksandra Rusowicz; Brian Pittman; Jean-Dominique Gallezot; Marc N Potenza; Kelly P Cosgrove; David Matuskey

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136463

Relationships between dopamine D2/3 receptor availability and social-environmental factors in humans

Neurosci Lett. 2022 Feb 6:771:136463. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136463. Epub 2022 Jan 17.

Authors

Katina C Calakos¹, Aleksandra Rusowicz², Brian Pittman², Jean-Dominique Gallezot³, Marc N Potenza⁴, Kelly P Cosgrove⁵, David Matuskey⁶

Affiliations

¹ Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
² Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
³ Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale PET Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA; Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale PET Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: david.matuskey@yale.edu.

Abstract

Social factors are associated with psychiatric outcomes and brain function. Relationships between local population data obtained from Social Explorer analyses of the American Community Survey (2014-2018) and dopamine D_2/3 receptor (D_2/3R) availability were explored in this retrospective analysis of [¹¹C]PHNO positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data (n = 70). Larger local population size and lower percentage of the population with a bachelor's degree or higher were significantly associated with higher striatal D_2/3R availability, suggesting that living in a populous area with fewer educational resources may be accompanied by stressors with concomitant dopaminergic changes. Future prospective, collaborative studies are needed to better understand the precise etiology of the observed relationships.

Keywords: Dopamine D2/3 receptors; Positron emission tomography; Social environment; [11C]PHNO.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / metabolism*
Dopamine Agonists / pharmacokinetics
Female
Humans
Male
Oxazines / pharmacokinetics
Positron-Emission Tomography
Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
Receptors, Dopamine D2 / metabolism*
Receptors, Dopamine D3 / metabolism*
Social Environment*
Social Status

Substances

Dopamine Agonists
Oxazines
Radiopharmaceuticals
Receptors, Dopamine D2
Receptors, Dopamine D3
naxagolide

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding