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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Brain positron emission tomography in preterm and term newborn infants
Yuan Shi1, Rong-bin Jin, Jin-ning Zhao
1Department of Pediatrics, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Objective:
To study the clinical values of positron emission tomography (PET) in preterm and term newborn infants through observing brain glucose metabolism by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) PET.
Method:
To observe the brain (18)F-FDG PET imaging in 9 term and 7 preterm newborn infants in the same condition after administration of 0.1 mCi/kg (18)F-FDG.
Result:
The brain (18)F-FDG PET imaging showed that the uptake of (18)F-FDG was relatively more in the thalamus, and less in the cerebral cortex in preterm and term newborn infants. The uptake of (18)F-FDG of cerebral cortex in preterm infants was less than that in term infants, so the structure of brain (18)F-FDG PET imaging was a little fainter in preterm neonates as compared with that in term newborns.
Conclusion:
(18)F-FDG PET imaging could show different glucose metabolisms of brain in preterm and term infants. Brain (18)F-FDG PET imaging might be a useful tool for estimating the brain function in newborn infants, and its clinical values need further investigation.
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