title: To what extent can artificial neural network support nuclear medicine?
abstract: Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are computer programs that emulate the  operation of a large number of processing units that mimic the fundamental mechanisms  of the biological activity of nervous cells as well as their connections and interactions.  As a human brain, an ANN has the ability to learn from the experience of general relations  between variables and thus ANN are particularly suitable to capture the natural  complexity of medical data. Today ANN are widely used as a tool for computer aided diagnosis.  This editorial discusses to what extent ANN can support Nuclear Medicine.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Mario Luca
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fravolini
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009683:Nuclear Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*