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Positron emission tomography in neurological diseases
Sudhir Kumar1, G Rajshekher, Subhashini Prabhakar
1Department of Neurological Sciences, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, India. drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com
Neurology India
|July 13, 2005
Summary
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique for studying human physiology. While not a primary tool for neurological diseases, PET offers valuable insights in specific clinical situations, complementing other imaging methods.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
- Radiopharmaceuticals
Background:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technology measuring metabolic and functional activity in living tissue.
- PET has established clinical applications in oncology, cardiology, and neurology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the specific indications and utility of PET in neurological diseases.
- To analyze recently published literature on PET applications in neurology.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive analysis of recently published literature on PET usage in neurological disorders.
- Review of clinical applications in epilepsy, stroke, dementia, and movement disorders.
Main Results:
- PET is generally not recommended as a primary or sole imaging technique for most neurological conditions.
- PET is valuable in specific situations, often complementing CT/MRI findings.
- Combined PET and CT/MRI data aid in localizing epileptogenic foci and predicting stroke outcomes.
Conclusions:
- PET serves as an adjunctive tool in managing specific neurological conditions, not as a standalone diagnostic method.
- Availability and cost are significant barriers to widespread PET adoption.
- This review assists in judicious patient selection for PET scans, especially with increasing accessibility.