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Inter-individual variability of neurotransmitter receptor and transporter density in the human brain
Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, QC, Montréal, Canada.
Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Intervention.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4501-4735
King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ PET Centre, London, United Kingdom.
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2026 (English)In: Brain Structure and Function, ISSN 1863-2653, E-ISSN 1863-2661, Vol. 231, no 1, article id 13Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Neurotransmitter receptors guide the propagation of signals between brain regions. Mapping receptor distributions in the brain is therefore necessary for understanding how neurotransmitter systems mediate the link between brain structure and function. Normative receptor density can be estimated using group averages from Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. However, the generalizability and reliability of group-average receptor maps depends on the inter-individual variability of receptor density, which is currently unknown. Here we collect group standard deviation brain maps of PET-estimated protein abundance for 12 different neurotransmitter receptors and transporters across 7 neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, cannabinoid, and opioid. We illustrate how cortical and subcortical inter-individual variability of receptor and transporter density varies across brain regions and across neurotransmitter systems. We complement inter-individual variability with inter-regional variability, and show that receptors that vary more across brain regions than across individuals also demonstrate greater out-of-sample spatial consistency. Altogether, this work quantifies how receptor systems vary in healthy individuals, and provides a means of assessing the generalizability of PET-derived receptor density quantification.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Berlin/Heidelberg, 2026. Vol. 231, no 1, article id 13
Keywords [en]
Brain mapping, Inter-individual variation, Neurotransmitter receptors, PET imaging, Spatial variation
National Category
Neurosciences Neurology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-248986DOI: 10.1007/s00429-025-03069-2ISI: 001661736000001PubMedID: 41528514Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105027348089OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-248986DiVA, id: diva2:2035220
Available from: 2026-02-04 Created: 2026-02-04 Last updated: 2026-02-04Bibliographically approved

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Johansson, Jarkko

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