title: Single-photon emission tomography.
abstract: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a functional nuclear imaging technique that allows visualization and quantification of different in vivo physiologic and pathologic features of brain neurobiology. It has been used for many years in diagnosis of several neurologic and psychiatric disorders. In this chapter, we discuss the current state-of-the-art of SPECT imaging of brain perfusion and dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging. Brain perfusion SPECT imaging plays an important role in the localization of the seizure onset zone in patients with refractory epilepsy. In cerebrovascular disease, it can be useful in determining the cerebrovascular reserve. After traumatic brain injury, SPECT has shown perfusion abnormalities despite normal morphology. In the context of organ donation, the diagnosis of brain death can be made with high accuracy. In neurodegeneration, while amyloid or (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) are the nuclear diagnostic tools of preference for early and differential diagnosis of dementia, perfusion SPECT imaging can be useful, albeit with slightly lower accuracy. SPECT imaging of the dopamine transporter system is widely available in Europe and Asia, but since recently also in the USA, and has been accepted as an important diagnostic tool in the early and differential diagnosis of parkinsonism in patients with unclear clinical features. The combination of perfusion SPECT (or FDG-PET) and DAT imaging provides differential diagnosis between idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Parkinson-plus syndromes, dementia with Lewy bodies, and essential tremor.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goffin
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Koen.vanlaere@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van Laere
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
keywords: Parkinson's disease; Parkinson-plus syndromes; cerebrovascular disease; dementia; dopamine transporter imaging; epilepsy; perfusion imaging