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Microglial Activation and Neuroinflammation

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Hybrid PET/MR Neuroimaging

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Abstract

Several neurological and psychiatric disorders have been associated with neuroinflammation, defined by the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the brain. PET radioligands that target microglial and astrocytic proteins allow in vivo quantification of neuroimmune responses. To date, the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) and monoamine oxidase B, proteins predominantly expressed by microglia and astrocytes, respectively, are the most commonly used targets of neuroinflammation PET radioligands. Several TSPO radioligands have been developed; however, TSPO PET has only been extensively studied in a few disorders, and results of these studies have not always been consistent. Evidence suggests that PET imaging can detect neuroinflammatory changes in Alzheimer’s disease, major depressive disorder, and traumatic brain injury. In Alzheimer’s disease, TSPO signal increases with disease progression, suggesting that PET imaging could be used to monitor inflammatory changes in patients with this disorder. In major depressive disorder, unmedicated patients have greater TSPO signal, and greater amounts of TSPO binding are associated with reduction of mood symptoms after treatment with celecoxib. Therefore, TSPO PET may be useful predictor of response to anti-inflammatory therapies in depression.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    William Charles Kreisl

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  1. William Charles Kreisl
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Correspondence to William Charles Kreisl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA

    Ana M. Franceschi

  2. Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Dinko Franceschi

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Kreisl, W.C. (2022). Microglial Activation and Neuroinflammation. In: Franceschi, A.M., Franceschi, D. (eds) Hybrid PET/MR Neuroimaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82367-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82367-2_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-82366-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-82367-2

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