title: New 18F tracers for the investigation of brain functions.
abstract: Advances in the synthetic methodology of radiofluorination have increased the number of clinically useful 18F labeled tracers for positron emission tomography of the brain. It is now possible to measure in vivo with 18F tracers regional cerebral blood flow (18F-fluoromethane), dopamine metabolism (6-18F-fluoro-L-dopa) and dopamine D-2 receptor density (N-18F-fluoroethylspiperone). At present 18F tracers are being developed that will, in the near future, make accessible to investigation cerebral serotonin metabolism, serotonin receptor density, melatonin receptor density, activity of L-aromatic acid decarboxylase, and protein synthesis rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Firnau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chirakal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nahmias
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Garnett
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; D013134:Spiperone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; C051175:3-N-(2-fluoroethyl)spiperone; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D013134:Spiperone; C029999:fluoromethane; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine