Posted by Scott L. Schofield on April 28, 2000, at 9:24:08
In reply to Re: Investigational drug assay and specific receptors., posted by Cam W. on April 28, 2000, at 7:01:18
I am feeling like crap now, but an idea occured to me about a week ago when my brain was working better.
Perhaps biological probes can be used to try to help determine the initial choices of treatment. The first thing that popped into my head was to use PET scans superimposed upon MRIs or using SPECT scans to determine baseline brain activity, and then challenge the system with various chemical probes such as receptor ligands, precursors, neuromodulators, hormones, etc. We could even use the therapeutic agents themselves. The resultant changes in brain activity can then be analyzed to determine what, where, when, and how much. I guess non-pharmacological probes could also be used, including electrical and magnetic stimulation. The choice of drug (or other treatment) could then be prescribed according to the interpretations of the test results.
Something like this might represent an in vivo evaluation of things like receptor function, availability of neurotransmitter, interactions between neurons and pathways, and many more microscopic details. However, it avoids the necessity to delineate relationships between these details by observing the macroscopic effects of these challenges on each individual brain.
- Scott
poster:Scott L. Schofield
thread:31294
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000420/msgs/31571.html