2024
Challenges and rewards of in vivo synaptic density imaging, and its application to the study of depression
Asch R, Abdallah C, Carson R, Esterlis I. Challenges and rewards of in vivo synaptic density imaging, and its application to the study of depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 50: 153-163. PMID: 39039139, PMCID: PMC11525584, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01913-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchStudies of depressionAnimal models of chronic stressPositron emission tomographyModel of chronic stressSV2A imagingSynaptic densitySignificant depressive symptomsDevelopment of novel radiotracersDepressive symptomsNeuropsychiatric disordersSymptom severityChronic stressDrug challengeSynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 ANeural markersAnimal modelsSynaptic alterationsSynaptogenesis in vivoPreliminary findingsIn vivo quantificationCentral nervous systemDepressionEmission tomographySV2ASV2A positron emission tomographySynaptic loss and its association with symptom severity in Parkinson’s disease
Holmes S, Honhar P, Tinaz S, Naganawa M, Hilmer A, Gallezot J, Dias M, Yang Y, Toyonaga T, Esterlis I, Mecca A, Van Dyck C, Henry S, Ropchan J, Nabulsi N, Louis E, Comley R, Finnema S, Carson R, Matuskey D. Synaptic loss and its association with symptom severity in Parkinson’s disease. Npj Parkinson's Disease 2024, 10: 42. PMID: 38402233, PMCID: PMC10894197, DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00655-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSynaptic density lossPositron emission tomographyBinds to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2AAssociated with symptom severityParkinson's diseaseHigh-resolution positron emission tomographySynaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2ADuration of illnessPositron emission tomography scanBrain perfusionIllness durationSymptom severitySeverity of symptomsHC groupSubstantia nigraSynaptic densityLiving brainPD individualsClinical insightsDensity lossPD patientsEmission tomographyBrainSynaptic lossSynapse loss
2021
Risk and resilience factors associated with traumatic loss-related PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Asch RH, Esterlis I, Southwick SM, Pietrzak RH. Risk and resilience factors associated with traumatic loss-related PTSD in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Psychiatry Research 2021, 298: 113775. PMID: 33578060, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113775.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderU.S. military veteransAttachment styleResilience factorsMilitary veteransPTSD symptom severitySomatic symptomsTraumatic eventsStress disorderPsychosocial correlatesPositive screenVeterans StudyNational HealthSudden deathSymptom severityTherapeutic targetU.S. veteransStrongest correlate
2020
PTSD is associated with neuroimmune suppression: evidence from PET imaging and postmortem transcriptomic studies
Bhatt S, Hillmer AT, Girgenti MJ, Rusowicz A, Kapinos M, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Matuskey D, Angarita GA, Esterlis I, Davis MT, Southwick SM, Friedman MJ, Duman R, Carson R, Krystal J, Pietrzak R, Cosgrove K. PTSD is associated with neuroimmune suppression: evidence from PET imaging and postmortem transcriptomic studies. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 2360. PMID: 32398677, PMCID: PMC7217830, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15930-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAcetamidesAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingAdultBrainCase-Control StudiesFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHealthy VolunteersHumansMaleMicrogliaMiddle AgedPositron-Emission TomographyPyridinesRadiopharmaceuticalsReceptors, GABAReceptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Member 14Sex FactorsStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticYoung AdultConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderPeripheral immune activationImmune activationHigher C-reactive protein levelsC-reactive protein levelsTSPO availabilityTranslocator proteinBrain microglial activationTomography brain imagingStress-related pathophysiologyPositron emission tomography (PET) brain imagingNeuroimmune activationMicroglial activationPTSD symptom severityImmunologic regulationPostmortem studiesPTSD subgroupHealthy individualsSymptom severityTrauma exposurePTSD groupStress disorderLower relative expressionBrain imagingPET imaging