Nuclear Neurology
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Abstract
Functional brain imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) enables the in vivo study of specific neurochemical processes in the context of normal regulatory mechanisms and pathophysiological alterations of the brain. Receptor studies with SPECT and PET have focused on the occupancy during drug treatment, quantification in neuropsychiatric diseases and visualization of specific pathology. SPECT and PET imaging of dopamine transporters can play an important role in detecting neuronal degeneration in parkinsonian syndromes and in drug-induced neurotoxicity. This article summarizes the SPECT and PET studies to evaluate the dopaminergic system in the human brain and their clinical applications.