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Alterations of regional brain activity in the prefrontal cortex and in limbic areas have been reported in humans with anxiety disorders. This animal study reports the results of brain perfusion imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in dogs with anxiety disorders. Based on the human literature, we hypothesized altered prefrontal and higher temporal brain perfusion. SPECT acquisitions were performed using the 99m Tc-labelled tracer ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD). Eighteen dogs with pathological anxiety were compared with 18 normally behaving reference dogs. We found, in the group of dogs with anxiety disorders, lower perfusion in the left frontal cortex (p=0.003), in the subcortical region (p= 0.007) and increased perfusion in the right (p=0.05) temporal cortex. Taken together, our rCBF findings are suggestive for a dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system in canine anxiety disorders.

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When used in combination with specific radioactive markers, functional imaging modalities such as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) enable the visualization of several neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, as well as of the perfusion and metabolism of the brain.This paper gives an overview of the functional imaging techniques, as well as of the studies that have been performed on humans and canines with anxiety disorders. Thus far, most of the research in this field has been focused on brain perfusion and the serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitters, and less on gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, norepinephrine and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. SAMENVATTINGAan de hand van functionele beeldvormingstechnieken, zoals Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) en Positron Emission Tomography (PET), en de bijpassende radioactieve merkers kunnen receptoren en transporters van neurotransmittersystemen in beeld gebracht worden. Ook de hersenperfusie en het hersenmetabolisme kunnen met diezelfde modaliteiten bepaald worden.In dit artikel worden de technische specificaties van de verschillende beeldvormingsmodaliteiten kort aangekaart. In tweede instantie worden de functionele beedvormingsstudies die handelen over angststoornissen bij mens en hond, besproken. Hierbij wordt voornamelijk over hersenperfusie en het serotonerge en dopaminerge systeem gerapporteerd en minder over gamma-aminobutyraat (GABA), glutamaat, norepinefrine en de hypothalamische-hypofysaire bijnieras (HPA).

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