title: Emission tomography contribution to clinical neurology.
abstract: The role of functional neuroimaging techniques in furthering the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of neurological diseases and in the assessment of neurological patients is increasingly important. Here, we review data mainly from emission tomography techniques, namely positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), that have helped elucidate the pathophysiology of a number of neurological diseases and have suggested strategies in the treatment of neurological patients. We also suggest possible future developments of functional neuroimaging applied to clinical populations and briefly touch on the emerging role of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in clinical neurology and neurosurgery.
authors.affiliation: Brain Mapping Division, Neuropsychiatric Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iacoboni
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Frackowiak
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mazziotta
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Lenzi
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon