[Nuclear medicine for evaluation of brain function].
Radionuclide methods, including positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), can visualize brain function by assessment of regional changes in blood flow and metabolism and measurement of neurotransmission function. Brain utilizes glucose as a major substrate for energy metabolism, and PET and SPECT images of blood flow and metabolism can be used as indices of neuronal activity. On the other hand, various radioligands have been developed for evaluation of pre- and post-synaptic neurons using PET and SPECT. The clinical role neuroreceptor imaging is now under investigation.
Yonekura
Y
Y
Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Fukui Medical School.
D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon