Radiotracers for functional brain imaging

The rapid growth of nuclear medicine 25 years ago was in large part related to the success of brain tumor imaging using radiopharmaceuticals designed to detect changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The success of computed tomography, and more recently nuclear magnetic resonance, in imaging these lesions has all but eliminated the use of radioactive agents for brain tumor detection. But, in recent years there has been a new wave of interest in isotope studies of the brain. The recent emphasis has been on agents which enter the brain across the BBB and are designed to provide functional data ranging from regional perfusion and metabolism to the distribution of binding sites for neuroactive compounds. While none of these new radiopharmaceuticals has yet come into widespread clinical application, the research results already achieved clearly indicate that brain imaging will again be an important aspect of nuclear medicine practice.