Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
PET in the Assessment of Pediatric Brain Development and Developmental Disorders
1Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Children's Hospital of Michigan, 3901 Beaubien Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Insights
Positron emission tomography (PET) reveals crucial insights into infant and child brain development, linking structural and functional changes to cognitive and behavioral progress. This understanding aids in diagnosing and managing neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Brain development involves complex structural and functional changes from infancy through childhood.
- Understanding these changes is critical for identifying the basis of developmental and neurological disorders.
- Existing methods may not fully capture the dynamic processes of brain maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role and contribution of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in studying brain development.
- To explore the relationship between PET-identified brain changes and behavioral/cognitive development.
- To highlight PET's utility in understanding the pathogenesis of pediatric neurological disorders.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on PET applications in pediatric neurodevelopment.
- Analysis of PET data related to glucose metabolism, protein synthesis, and neurotransmitter systems.
- Correlation of neuroimaging findings with behavioral and cognitive developmental milestones.
Main Results:
- PET imaging provides valuable data on glucose metabolism and neurotransmitter system development.
- PET can elucidate structural and functional brain alterations during development.
- These findings correlate with observed behavioral and cognitive development in children.
Conclusions:
- PET is a powerful tool for understanding normal and abnormal brain development in infants and children.
- PET data aids in understanding the neurological basis of developmental disorders.
- PET can inform therapeutic interventions, disease monitoring, and long-term prognostication.
Abstract:
This article discusses and reviews the role and contribution of PET in understanding the structural and functional changes that occur during brain development, and how these changes relate to behavioral and cognitive development in the infant and child. Data regarding various aspects of brain development, such as glucose metabolism, protein synthesis, and maturation and development of neurotransmitter systems will help in understanding the pathogenesis and neurologic basis of various developmental and neurologic disorders. This may help in following disease evolution and progression, planning and development of various therapeutic interventions, timing these interventions and monitoring their responses, and rendering long-term prognostication.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Three Developmental Domains
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
01:14Brain Imaging
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic...