Detection of psychoactive drugs using 19F MR spectroscopy.

In vivo 19F resonance spectroscopy measurements of trifluorinated neuroleptics (fluphenazine and trifluoperazine) and later trifluorinated antidepressants (fluoxetine and fluvoxamine) began with animal experiments in 1983. Using rats which have been treated with high oral doses of fluphenazine over a period of three weeks in the beginning of these experiments the measurement time was very long (up to 10 h). The application of better techniques using surface coils led to marked improvement of the signal noise ratio and measurement times in animal experiments could be reduced to minutes. These results encouraged us and other groups to perform experiments in humans to detect and try to estimate brain levels of trifluorinated neuroleptics and antidepressants. The present data of several research groups demonstrate that 19F MR spectroscopy has the potential of becoming a valuable tool for monitoring drug levels at the site of action. The extension of the animal studies to humans might facilitate a better treatment of schizophrenic and depressive patients.