[Molecular imaging in neurological diseases]

In neurodegeneration and in neuro-oncology, the standard imaging procedure, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), shows limited sensitivity and specificity. Molecular imaging with specific positron-emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracers allows various molecular targets and metabolic processes to be assessed and is thus a valuable adjunct to MRI. Two important examples are referred to here: amino acid transport for neuro-oncological issues, and the recently approved PET tracers for detecting amyloid depositions during the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. This review discusses the clinical relevance and indications for the following nuclear medicine imaging procedures: amyloid PET, (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, and dopamine transporter (DaT)-SPECT for the diagnosis of dementia and the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, in addition to amino acid PET for the diagnosis of brain tumors and somatostatin receptor imaging in meningioma.