Spontaneous remission of post-stroke depression and temporal changes in cortical S2-serotonin receptors.

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.