Used primarily in pharmaceutical research as a potent sigma receptor ligand, particularly showing high affinity for the sigma-1 receptor subtype. This activity makes it valuable in studying neurological disorders such as neuropathic pain, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Its spirocyclic structure and fluorinated aromatic group enhance blood-brain barrier penetration, making it suitable for central nervous system-targeted drug development. It is also employed as a reference compound in receptor binding assays and for validating imaging agents in positron emission tomography (PET) studies.