A patient with post-stroke depression following infarction of the left
basal ganglia is described. The patient's depression remitted during a
6-week double-blind treatment trial while receiving placebo medication.
Cortical S2-receptor binding that was measured using 11C-N methyl spiperone
and positron emission tomography (PET), increased in the left temporal
cortex by more than 25% during the treatment trial. The change in serotonin
receptor binding and its relationship to the improvement in mood observed
in this patient are consistent with previously published data demonstrating
a correlation between serotonin receptor binding in the left temporal
cortex and severity of symptoms of depression.
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