Pontus Plaven Sigray | Karolinska Institutet

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About me

My research is primarily focused on developing biomarkers and new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases by applying neuroimaging techniques, such as MRI and PET. Me, my group and my collaborators are currently running the ERAP phase IIa trial (clinicaltrial.gov ID: NCT06022068), where we evaluate the effect of the drug sirolimus/rapamycin on human neurodegeneration and aging.
My work also involves creating and assessing biomarkers of aging that can be used as endpoints in clinical trials of geroprotective compounds. To this end, my group applies machine learning models to large batches of multi-modal imaging data to estimate the biological age of different organ-systems in the human body.

Research

- Longevity
- Aging Biomarkers
- Neurodegenerative Disease
- Clinical Trials
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
- In vivo Molecular Imaging

Articles

Article: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2024;81(5):468-476

Cognitive Function and Variability in Antipsychotic Drug-Naive Patients With First-Episode Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Lee M; Cernvall M; Borg J; Plavén-Sigray P; Larsson C; Erhardt S; Sellgren CM; Fatouros-Bergman H; Cervenka S
Article: GEROSCIENCE. 2024;:1-11

Multimodal brain age prediction using machine learning: combining structural MRI and 5-HT2AR PET-derived features.

Dörfel RP; Arenas-Gomez JM; Svarer C; Ganz M; Knudsen GM; Svensson JE; Plavén-Sigray P
Article: BMC NEUROLOGY. 2024;24(1):111

Evaluating the effect of rapamycin treatment in Alzheimer's disease and aging using in vivo imaging: the ERAP phase IIa clinical study protocol.

Svensson JE; Bolin M; Thor D; Williams PA; Brautaset R; Carlsson M; Sörensson P; Marlevi D; Spin-Neto R; Probst M; Hagman G; Morén AF; Kivipelto M; Plavén-Sigray P
Article: HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING. 2023;44(17):6139-6148

Prediction of brain age using structural magnetic resonance imaging: A comparison of accuracy and test-retest reliability of publicly available software packages.

Dörfel RP; Arenas-Gomez JM; Fisher PM; Ganz M; Knudsen GM; Svensson JE; Plavén-Sigray P
Article: ADDICTION. 2023;118(6):1053-1061

Striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability as a predictor of subsequent alcohol use in social drinkers.

Jangard S; Jayaram-Lindström N; Isacsson NH; Matheson GJ; Plavén-Sigray P; Franck J; Borg J; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2023;26(4):241-248

Associations Between Cognition and Serotonin 1B Receptor Availability in Healthy Volunteers: A [11C]AZ10419369 Positron Emission Tomography Study.

Tangen Ä; Veldman ER; Svensson J; Tiger M; Nord M; Sorjonen K; Andersson M; Plavén-Sigray P; Varrone A; Halldin C; Varnäs K; Borg J; Lundberg J
Article: NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2022;47(10):1863-1868

In vivo correlation of serotonin transporter and 1B receptor availability in the human brain: a PET study.

Svensson JE; Tiger M; Plavén-Sigray P; Halldin C; Schain M; Lundberg J
Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2022;27(2):1233-1240

Thalamic dopamine D2-receptor availability in schizophrenia: a study on antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode psychosis and a meta-analysis.

Plavén-Sigray P; Ikonen Victorsson P; Santillo A; Matheson GJ; Lee M; Collste K; Fatouros-Bergman H; Sellgren CM; Erhardt S; Agartz I; Halldin C; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA. 2021;7(1):46

No association between cortical dopamine D2 receptor availability and cognition in antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis.

Lee M; Fatouros-Bergman H; Plavén-Sigray P; Ikonen Victorsson P; Sellgren CM; Erhardt S; Flyckt L; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. 2021;11(1):264

Serotonin transporter availability increases in patients recovering from a depressive episode.

Svensson JE; Svanborg C; Plavén-Sigray P; Kaldo V; Halldin C; Schain M; Lundberg J
Article: JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE. 2021;62(3):412-417

Nondisplaceable Binding Is a Potential Confounding Factor in 11C-PBR28 Translocator Protein PET Studies.

Laurell GL; Plavén-Sigray P; Jucaite A; Varrone A; Cosgrove KP; Svarer C; Knudsen GM; Karolinska Schizophrenia Project Consortium; Ogden RT; Zanderigo F; Cervenka S; Hillmer AT; Schain M
Article: NEUROIMAGE. 2021;226:117523

Low convergent validity of [11C]raclopride binding in extrastriatal brain regions: A PET study of within-subject correlations with [11C]FLB 457.

Freiburghaus T; Svensson JE; Matheson GJ; Plavén-Sigray P; Lundberg J; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH. 2020;222:175-184

Dopamine D1 receptor availability is not associated with delusional ideation measures of psychosis proneness.

Matheson GJ; Plavén-Sigray P; Louzolo A; Borg J; Farde L; Petrovic P; Cervenka S
Article: NEUROIMAGE. 2019;202:116143

Validity and reliability of extrastriatal [11C]raclopride binding quantification in the living human brain.

Svensson JE; Schain M; Plavén-Sigray P; Cervenka S; Tiger M; Nord M; Halldin C; Farde L; Lundberg J
Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2019;46(11):2329-2338

Effects of age, BMI and sex on the glial cell marker TSPO - a multicentre [11C]PBR28 HRRT PET study.

Tuisku J; Plavén-Sigray P; Gaiser EC; Airas L; Al-Abdulrasul H; Brück A; Carson RE; Chen M-K; Cosgrove KP; Ekblad L; Esterlis I; Farde L; Forsberg A; Halldin C; Helin S; Kosek E; Lekander M; Lindgren N; Marjamäki P; Rissanen E; Sucksdorff M; Varrone A; HRRT [11C ]PBR28 study group; Collste K; Gallezot J-D; Hillmer A; Huang Y; Höglund CO; Johansson J; Jucaite A; Lampa J; Nabulsi N; Pittman B; Sandiego CM; Stenkrona P; Rinne J; Matuskey D; Cervenka S
Article: NEUROIMAGE. 2019;188:102-110

Accuracy and reliability of [11C]PBR28 specific binding estimated without the use of a reference region.

Plavén-Sigray P; Schain M; Zanderigo F; Karolinska [(11)C]PBR28 study group; Rabiner EA; Gunn RN; Ogden RT; Cervenka S
Article: EJNMMI RESEARCH. 2018;8(1):102

Test-retest reliability and convergent validity of (R)-[11C]PK11195 outcome measures without arterial input function.

Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Cselényi Z; Jucaite A; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2018;84(6):433-442

Positron Emission Tomography Studies of the Glial Cell Marker Translocator Protein in Patients With Psychosis: A Meta-analysis Using Individual Participant Data.

Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Collste K; Ashok AH; Coughlin JM; Howes OD; Mizrahi R; Pomper MG; Rusjan P; Veronese M; Wang Y; Cervenka S
Article: PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY. 2018;14(5):e1006196

Simulations to benchmark time-varying connectivity methods for fMRI.

Thompson WH; Richter CG; Plavén-Sigray P; Fransson P
Article: PLOS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0209584

Trait impulsivity is not related to post-commissural putamen volumes: A replication study in healthy men.

Caravaggio F; Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Plitman E; Chakravarty MM; Borg J; Graff-Guerrero A; Cervenka S
Article: PLOS ONE. 2018;13(3):e0193770

Is dopamine D1 receptor availability related to social behavior? A positron emission tomography replication study.

Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Gustavsson P; Stenkrona P; Halldin C; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: EJNMMI RESEARCH. 2017;7(1):58

Assessment of simplified ratio-based approaches for quantification of PET [11C]PBR28 data.

Matheson GJ; Plavén-Sigray P; Forsberg A; Varrone A; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: ELIFE. 2017;6:e27725

The readability of scientific texts is decreasing over time.

Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Schiffler BC; Thompson WH
Article: NEUROIMAGE. 2017;155:344-353

Reliability of volumetric and surface-based normalisation and smoothing techniques for PET analysis of the cortex: A test-retest analysis using [11C]SCH-23390.

Matheson GJ; Stenkrona P; Cselényi Z; Plavén-Sigray P; Halldin C; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2017;22(6):850-856

Lower levels of the glial cell marker TSPO in drug-naive first-episode psychosis patients as measured using PET and [11C]PBR28.

Collste K; Plavén-Sigray P; Fatouros-Bergman H; Victorsson P; Schain M; Forsberg A; Amini N; Aeinehband S; Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP) consortium; Erhardt S; Halldin C; Flyckt L; Farde L; Cervenka S
Article: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2017;27(5):462-469

Extrastriatal dopamine D2-receptor availability in social anxiety disorder.

Plavén-Sigray P; Hedman E; Victorsson P; Matheson GJ; Forsberg A; Djurfeldt DR; Rück C; Halldin C; Lindefors N; Cervenka S
Article: NEUROIMAGE. 2014;102 Pt 2:590-595

Dopamine D1 receptor availability is related to social behavior: a positron emission tomography study.

Plavén-Sigray P; Gustavsson P; Farde L; Borg J; Stenkrona P; Nyberg L; Bäckman L; Cervenka S
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All other publications

Review: JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM. 2021;41(11):2805-2819

Early stopping in clinical PET studies: How to reduce expense and exposure.

Svensson JE; Schain M; Knudsen GM; Ogden RT; Plavén-Sigray P
Letter: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 2021;89(3):e5-e8

Meta-analysis of the Glial Marker TSPO in Psychosis Revisited: Reconciling Inconclusive Findings of Patient-Control Differences.

Plavén-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Coughlin JM; Hafizi S; Laurikainen H; Ottoy J; De Picker L; Rusjan P; Hietala J; Howes OD; Mizrahi R; Morrens M; Pomper MG; Cervenka S
Conference publication: JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM. 2021;41(1_SUPPL):228-229

Meta-analysis of the glial marker TSPO in psychosis revisited: Reconciling inconclusive findings of patient-control differences

Plaven-Sigray P; Matheson GJ; Coughlin JM; Hafizi S; Laurikainen H; Ottoy J; de'Picker L; Rusjan PM; Hietala J; Howes OD; Mizrahi R; Morrens M; Pomper MG; Cervenka S
Letter: NEUROIMAGE. 2020;207:116371

In response to the letter "[11C]raclopride and extrastriatal binding to D2/3 receptors".

Svensson JE; Schain M; Plavén-Sigray P; Cervenka S; Tiger M; Nord M; Halldin C; Farde L; Lundberg J
Letter: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2020;47(2):502-504

Clinical brain PET research must embrace multi-centre collaboration and data sharing or risk its demise.

Matheson GJ; Plavén-Sigray P; Tuisku J; Rinne J; Matuskey D; Cervenka S
Editorial comment: PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE. 2019;49(10):1624-1628

Meta-analytic studies of the glial cell marker TSPO in psychosis - a question of apples and pears?

Plavén-Sigray P; Cervenka S
Thesis / dissertation: 2018

Positron emission tomography : development, evaluation and application of quantification methods

Plavén-Sigray, Pontus
Review: PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. 2018;373(1744):20170156

Brain neuroreceptor density and personality traits: towards dimensional biomarkers for psychiatric disorders.

Farde L; Plavén-Sigray P; Borg J; Cervenka S

Selected grants

The search for an aging biomarker: in vivo quantification of age-related proteins using Positron Emission Tomography in humans

Impetus Longevity Grant

Grants

Swedish Research Council - International post-doc grant

Swedish Research Council
Lundbeck Foundation post-doc grant

Lundbeck Foundation
Fonden för psykisk hälsa research grant

Fonden för psykisk hälsa
Evaluating the effects of rapamycin treatment in Alzheimer’s disease using positron emission tomography

Demensförbundet - Demensfonden
Evaluating rapamycin treatment in Alzheimer’s disease using positron emission tomography

Åhlénstiftelsen Medical Research grant
Swedish Society for Medical Research - postdoc stipend

Swedish Society for Medical Research
Evaluating the effects of rapamycin treatment in Alzheimer’s disease using positron emission tomography: a pilot study

Loo and Hans Osterman Foundation for Medical Research

Employments

Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-2025
Postdoc, Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2019-2025

Degrees and Education

Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2019
Degree Of Master Of Science In Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, 2013

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Keywords:

Biomarkers Clinical Trial, Phase II Dementia Longevity Neurodegenerative Diseases Show all

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