Imaging Serotoninergic Neurotransmission in Epilepsy

This study will investigate the role that a brain chemical called serotonin plays in seizures. Serotonin, present naturally in the brain, helps transmit signals between nerve cells. Glucose is a sugar that is the main fuel of the brain. Studying these two chemicals may help explain why people with epilepsy get seizures and are more likely to be depressed.

Healthy volunteers and patients 18 to 60 years of age who have epilepsy with or without depression and whose seizures are not controlled by medication may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a review of their medical history, a physical examination and an electroencephalogram (EEG, brain wave recording).

Participants undergo the following procedures:

• Positron emission tomography (PET) scans: The first of three PET scans measures brain blood flow and the activity at some of the brain serotonin receptors (the parts of brain cells to which serotonin attaches). A second scan measures the amount of serotonin transported between brain cells. A third scan measures glucose use. The PET scanner is shaped like a doughnut. The subject lies on a bed that slides in and out of the scanner with his or her head inside the opening. A special mask is fitted to the subject s head to help keep it still during the procedure so the images will be clear. For the first scan, catheters (plastic tubes) are placed in an arm vein to inject a radioactive substance and in an artery in the wrist to collect blood samples. The other two scans require only the catheter in the arm.
• Magnetic resonance imaging: This test uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of the brain. The scanner is a metal cylinder surrounded by a strong magnetic field. The subject lies on a table that can slide in and out of the cylinder. Most scans last between 45 and 90 minutes. Subjects wear earplugs to muffle loud knocking noises that occur during scanning.
• Psychological evaluation: Subjects are interviewed and fill out questionnaires to help study sadness and depression in epilepsy.
• Blood draw: Blood tests look for differences in genes between people with epilepsy who are depressed and those who are not.