Chapter 65 Central Nervous System Molecular Imaging

It has been over 40 years since the advent of in vivo molecular imaging within the brain, first accomplished with a nonmetabolized analog of glucose, namely 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography (PET). Those initial studies paved the way for quantitative brain imaging of a variety of neurotransmitter systems, enzymes, transporters, cells, and synapses, all of which are being pursued to understand normal physiology and …