PET scans use radioactive tracers to produce 3D images of functional brain processes. They have provided insights into mental disorders like depression and schizophrenia. Studies with depressed patients found abnormalities in prefrontal cortex activity and lower glucose metabolism, suggesting deficits in these brain regions. PET scans have also found less serotonin transporter binding in depressed individuals, indicating differences in the serotonin system between healthy and depressed people. For schizophrenia, PET scans have found greater dopamine receptor binding, revealing abnormalities in the dopamine system that may underlie the disorder.

1. PET Application in Psychiatry Ramin V. Parsey and J. John Mann By Dan Diner

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