Brain imaging in psychopharmacology

The development of human brain imaging in the last 15 years has resulted in a number of techniques that allow unprecedented insights into the in vivo metabolic and neurochemical processes of the brain. Some of these techniques are now mature, while others are at earlier stages of development. All have started to deliver a change on our understanding of human in vivo brain pharmacology and can be used for a variety of investigations. This contribution contains a brief review of the imaging techniques available and of what they measure; a summary, with selected examples, of how these measures contribute to pharmacological knowledge, including a discussion of how these techniques can aid drug discovery and development; and, finally, a brief debate on the principal challenges in implementing these strategies in the future.