In this study we propose to study 24 unmedicated abstinent alcohol dependent patients, 24 obese individuals and 24 individually matched healthy control subjects and determine NET expression in vivo using (S,S)-[11C]MRB and PET. This will provide novel insight into alterations in pre- and post-synaptic homeostasis in alcoholism and obese people with the goal to explain regulatory processes and their alterations in these disorders. A better understanding of brain mechanisms and contributory stress would have an enormous impact on the public's understanding of the vulnerabilities for these disorders, influence medical and legal response to these problems, could lead to a new understanding of these phenomena, and stimulate a better means of prevention and treatment.
In this study we propose to study 24 unmedicated abstinent alcohol dependent patients, 24 obese individuals and 24 individually matched healthy control subjects and determine Norepinephrine Transporter (NET) expression in vivo using (S,S)-[11C]MRB and PET.