Imaging Synapses With [11C] UCB-J in the Human Brain
Status:
Enrolling by invitation
Trial end date:
2022-09-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this study is to utilize the radioactive positron emission tomography (PET)
tracer [11C]UCB-J to test the neural synaptic pruning hypothesis of schizophrenia. This
imaging method allows for the quantification of synaptic density in the living human brain
and has the unprecedented ability to directly examine the synaptic pathology underlying
neuropsychiatric disease. The neural synaptic pruning hypothesis posits that a key pathogenic
process of schizophrenia is the over-exuberant elimination of neural synapses during
development. The confirmation of reduced synaptic density in schizophrenia as evidenced by
[11C]UCB-J has the potential to lead to a number of ground-breaking clinical innovations,
such as laboratory-based diagnostics and prognostics, and novel, disease-modifying
treatments.