Neurotransmitter receptors support the propagation of signals in the human brain. How receptor systems are situated within macro-scale neuroanatomy and how they shape emergent function remain poorly understood, and there exists no comprehensive atlas of receptors. Here we collate positron emission tomography data from more than 1,200 healthy individuals to construct a whole-brain three-dimensional normative atlas of 19 receptors and transporters across nine different neurotransmitter systems. We found that receptor profiles align with structural connectivity and mediate function, including neurophysiological oscillatory dynamics and resting-state hemodynamic functional connectivity. Using the Neurosynth cognitive atlas, we uncovered a topographic gradient of overlapping receptor distributions that separates extrinsic and intrinsic psychological processes. Finally, we found both expected and novel associations between receptor distributions and cortical abnormality patterns across 13 disorders. We replicated all findings in an independently collected autoradiography dataset. This work demonstrates how chemoarchitecture shapes brain structure and function, providing a new direction for studying multi-scale brain organization.

Neurotransmitter receptors support the propagation of signals in the human brain. How receptor systems are situated within macroscale neuroanatomy and how they shape emergent function remains poorly understood, and there exists no comprehensive atlas of receptors. Here we collate positron emission tomography scans in >1200 healthy individuals to construct a whole-brain 3-D normative atlas of 18 receptors and transporters across 9 different neurotransmitter systems. We find that receptor profiles align with structural connectivity and mediate function, including neurophysiological oscillatory dynamics and resting state hemodynamic functional connectivity. Using the Neurosynth cognitive atlas, we uncover a topographic gradient of overlapping receptor distributions that separates extrinsic and intrinsic psychological processes. Finally, we find both expected and novel associations between receptor distributions and cortical thinning patterns across 13 disorders. We replicate all findings in an independently collected autoradiography dataset. This work demonstrates how chemoarchitecture shapes brain structure and function, providing a new direction for studying multi-scale brain organization.

Highlights d We performed functional MRI in individuals who undertook a weight-loss regimen d Calorie restriction led to weight loss and leptin and ghrelin adaptations d We uncovered a neural signature of successful weight loss d The best predictor of success was activation in prefrontal cortex during the regime

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess, in a large sample of healthy young adults, sex differences in the binding potential of [ 11 C]ABP688, a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer selective for the metabotropic glutamate type 5 (mGlu5) receptor. Methods High resolution [ 11 C]ABP688 PET scans were acquired in 74 healthy volunteers (25 male, 49 female, mean age 20 ± 3.0). Mean binding potential (BP ND = f ND * (B avail / K D )) values were calculated in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and limbic regions using the simplified reference tissue model with cerebellar grey matter as the reference region. Results [ 11 C]ABP688 BP ND was significantly higher in men compared to women in the prefrontal cortex ( p < 0.01), striatum ( p < 0.001), and hippocampus ( p < 0.05). Whole-brain BP ND was 17% higher in men. BP ND was not related to menstrual phase in women. Conclusions Binding availability of mGlu5 receptors as measured by PET [ 11 C]ABP688 is higher in healthy men than women. This likely represents a source of variability in [ 11 C]ABP688 studies and could have relevance for sex differences in cognitive-behavioral functions and neuropsychiatric disorders.