Three Month Follow-Up of Rat Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Combined [F]FDG and [C]PK11195 Positron Emission Study.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common cause of head trauma. The time course of functional pathology is not well defined, however. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consequences of mTBI in rats over a period of 3 months by determining the presence of neuroinflammation ([C]PK11195) and changes in brain metabolism ([F]FDG) with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

Recommendations and Technical Aspects of 16α-[18F]Fluoro-17β-Estradiol PET to Image the Estrogen Receptor In Vivo: The Groningen Experience.

The estrogen derivative 16α-F-fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES) is a PET tracer that has been used in a variety of preclinical and clinical studies to detect estrogen receptor (ER) expression, mainly in breast cancer, but also for other oncological indications. As a result of the success of these studies and the potential applications of the tracer, FES starts to be implemented in routine clinical practice. However, the number of centers using this tracer is still limited and many nuclear medicine physicians and medical oncologists are still unaware of the possibilities FES PET imaging offers.

Stress myocardial blood flow correlates with ventricular function and synchrony better than myocardial perfusion reserve: A Nitrogen-13 ammonia PET study.

Background: Cardiac PET quantifies stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) and perfusion reserve (MPR), while ECG-gated datasets can measure components of ventricular function simultaneously. Stress MBF seems to outperform MPR in the detection of significant CAD. However, it is uncertain which perfusion measurement is more related to ventricular function.

PET Tracers for Imaging of ABC Transporters at the Blood-Brain Barrier: Principles and Strategies.

ABC transporters at the human blood-brain barrier protect the brain against the entry of harmful compounds but may also limit (or prevent) the cerebral entry of therapeutic drugs (e.g. anti-epileptics, antidepressants and antipsychotics).

Radiation Dosimetry of a Novel Adenosine A Receptor Radioligand [C]Preladenant Based on PET/CT Imaging and Ex Vivo Biodistribution in Rats.

Purpose: [C]Preladenant was developed as a novel adenosine A receptor PET radioligand. The aim of this study was to determine the radiation dosimetry of [C]preladenant and to investigate whether dosimetry estimation based on organ harvesting can be replaced by positron emission tomography (PET)/x-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging in rats.

Procedures: Male Wistar rats (n = 35) were i.

[Corrigendum] VEGF in nuclear medicine: Clinical application in cancer and future perspectives (Review).

Following the publication of this article, after having re-examined our manuscript, we noted an error in the acknowledgements section, as regards the funding of our study. The correct version of acknowledgements section is shown below: Acknowledgements This study was supported by the Ministry of Health and Fondazione Roma and by NOBILE S.p.

Generic and robust method for automatic segmentation of PET images using an active contour model.

Purpose: Although positron emission tomography (PET) images have shown potential to improve the accuracy of targeting in radiation therapy planning and assessment of response to treatment, the boundaries of tumors are not easily distinguishable from surrounding normal tissue owing to the low spatial resolution and inherent noisy characteristics of PET images. The objective of this study is to develop a generic and robust method for automatic delineation of tumor volumes using an active contour model and to evaluate its performance using phantom and clinical studies.

Methods: MASAC, a method for automatic segmentation using an active contour model, incorporates the histogram fuzzy C-means clustering, and localized and textural information to constrain the active contour to detect boundaries in an accurate and robust manner.

The combination of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids has an enhanced anti-inflammatory effect on microglia.

Neuroinflammation is a common phenomenon in the pathology of many brain diseases. In this paper we explore whether selected vitamins and fatty acids known to modulate inflammation exert an effect on microglia, the key cell type involved in neuroinflammation. Previously these nutrients have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory properties acting on specific inflammatory pathways.

Altered Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Chronic Whiplash Associated Disorders.

There is increasing evidence of central hyperexcitability in chronic whiplash-associated disorders (cWAD). However, little is known about how an apparently simple cervical spine injury can induce changes in cerebral processes. The present study was designed (1) to validate previous results showing alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in cWAD, (2) to test if central hyperexcitability reflects changes in rCBF upon non-painful stimulation of the neck, and (3) to verify our hypothesis that the missing link in understanding the underlying pathophysiology could be the close interaction between the neck and midbrain structures.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Anemia and Hematinic Deficiencies in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

Importance: Detailed information on the prevalence, associations, and consequences of anemia and iron deficiency in epidemiologically representative outpatients with chronic heart failure (HF) is lacking.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of anemia and iron deficiency in a broad range of patients referred to a cardiology clinic with suspected HF.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We collected clinical data, including hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin concentrations, on consecutive patients referred with suspected HF to a single outpatient clinic serving a local community from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2010.

Evaluating [C]PBR28 PET for Monitoring Gut and Brain Inflammation in a Rat Model of Chemically Induced Colitis.

Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon that affects an increasing number of patients. High comorbidity is observed between UC and other diseases in which inflammation may be involved, including brain diseases such as cognitive impairment, mental disorders, anxiety, and depression. To investigate the increased occurrence of these brain diseases in patients with UC, non-invasive methods for monitoring peripheral and central inflammation could be applied.

FDG-PET for Prediction of AD Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment. A Review of the State of the Art with Particular Emphasis on the Comparison with Other Neuroimaging Modalities (MRI and Perfusion SPECT).

This review article aims at providing a state-of-the-art review of the role of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging (FDG-PET) in the prediction of Alzheimer's dementia in subjects suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with a particular focus on the predictive power of FDG-PET compared to structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). We also address perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a less costly and more accessible alternative to FDG-PET. A search in PubMed was performed, taking into consideration relevant scientific articles published in English within the last five years and limited to human studies.

VEGF in nuclear medicine: Clinical application in cancer and future perspectives (Review).

Clinical trials using antiangiogenic drugs revealed their potential against cancer. Unfortunately, a large percentage of patients does not yet benefit from this therapeutic approach highlighting the need of diagnostic tools to non-invasively evaluate and monitor response to therapy. It would also allow to predict which kind of patient will likely benefit of antiangiogenic therapy.

Novel Approach to Repeated Arterial Blood Sampling in Small Animal PET: Application in a Test-Retest Study with the Adenosine A1 Receptor Ligand [(11)C]MPDX.

Purpose: Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to detect small changes in neuroreceptor availability. This often requires rapid arterial blood sampling. However, current catheterization procedures do not allow repeated blood sampling.

PET/CT imaging of infection.

Tuberculosis has a high morbidity and mortality worldwide. () has a complex pathophysiology; it is an aerobic bacillus capable of surviving in anaerobic conditions in a latent state for a very long time before reactivation to active disease. In the latent tuberculosis infection, the individual has no clinical evidence of active disease, but exhibits a hypersensitive response to proteins of .

Dual time-point imaging for post-dose binding potential estimation applied to a [C]raclopride PET dose occupancy study.

Receptor occupancy studies performed with PET often require time-consuming dynamic imaging for baseline and post-dose scans. Shorter protocol approximations based on standard uptake value ratios have been proposed. However, such methods depend on the time-point chosen for the quantification and often lead to overestimation and bias.

Serotonergic perturbations in dystonia disorders-a systematic review.

Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions. Emerging data describe high prevalences of non-motor symptoms, including psychiatric co-morbidity, as part of the phenotype of dystonia. Basal ganglia serotonin and serotonin-dopamine interactions gain attention, as imbalances are known to be involved in extrapyramidal movement and psychiatric disorders.

Isolation and (111)In-Oxine Labeling of Murine NK Cells for Assessment of Cell Trafficking in Orthotopic Lung Tumor Model.

A noninvasive in vivo imaging method for NK cell trafficking is essential to gain further understanding of the pathogenesis of NK cell mediated immune response to the novel cancer treatment strategies, and to discover the homing sites and physiological distribution of NK cells. Although human NK cells can be labeled for in vivo imaging, little is known about the murine NK cell labeling and its application in animal models. This study describes the isolation and ex vivo radiolabeling of murine NK cells for the evaluation of cell trafficking in an orthotopic model of human lung cancer in mice.

In vivo evaluation of [C]preladenant positron emission tomography for quantification of adenosine A receptors in the rat brain.

[C]Preladenant was developed as a novel adenosine A receptor positron emission tomography radioligand. The present study aims to evaluate the suitability of [C]preladenant positron emission tomography for the quantification of striatal A receptor density and the assessment of striatal A receptor occupancy by KW-6002. Sixty- or ninety-minute dynamic positron emission tomography imaging was performed on rats.

Imaging fungal infections in children.

Fungal infections in children rarely occur, but continue to have a high morbidity and mortality despite the development of newer antifungal agents. It is essential for these infections to be diagnosed at the earliest possible stage so appropriate treatment can be initiated promptly. The addition of high-resolution computer tomography (HR CT) has helped in early diagnosis making; however, it lacks both sensitivity and specificity.

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of 11C-PBR28 in the Rat Model of Herpes Encephalitis: Comparison with (R)-11C-PK11195.

(11)C-PBR28 is a second-generation translocator protein (TSPO) tracer with characteristics supposedly superior to the most commonly used tracer for neuroinflammation, (R)-(11)C-PK11195. Despite its use in clinical research, no studies on the imaging properties and pharmacokinetic analysis of (11)C-PBR28 in rodent models of neuroinflammation have been published yet. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate (11)C-PBR28 as a tool for detection and quantification of neuroinflammation in preclinical research and to compare its imaging properties with (R)-(11)C-PK11195.

Sigma-1 Agonist Binding in the Aging Rat Brain: a MicroPET Study with [(11)C]SA4503.

Purpose: Sigma-1 receptor ligands modulate the release of several neurotransmitters and intracellular calcium signaling. We examined the binding of a radiolabeled sigma-1 agonist in the aging rat brain with positron emission tomography (PET).

Procedures: Time-dependent uptake of [(11)C]SA4503 was measured in the brain of young (1.

Post-deployment usability evaluation of a radiology workstation.

Objectives: To determine the number, nature and severity of usability issues radiologists encounter while using a commercially available radiology workstation in clinical practice, and to assess how well the results of a pre-deployment usability evaluation of this workstation generalize to clinical practice.

Methods: The usability evaluation consisted of semi-structured interviews and observations of twelve users using the workstation during their daily work. Usability issues and positive usability findings were documented.

Pattern mining of user interaction logs for a post-deployment usability evaluation of a radiology PACS client.

Objectives: To perform a post-deployment usability evaluation of a radiology Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) client based on pattern mining of user interaction log data, and to assess the usefulness of this approach compared to a field study.

Methods: All user actions performed on the PACS client were logged for four months. A data mining technique called closed sequential pattern mining was used to automatically extract frequently occurring interaction patterns from the log data.