Clinical utility of 11C-flumazenil positron emission tomography in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy.

Background: 11C-flumazenil (FMZ) positron emission tomography (PET) is a new entrant into the armamentarium for pre-surgical evaluation of patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Aims: To analyze the clinical utility of FMZ PET to detect lesional and remote cortical areas of abnormal benzodiazepine receptor binding in relation to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 2-Deoxy-2 [18F] fluoro-D-glucose, (18F FDG) PET, electrophysiological findings and semiology of epilepsy in patients with intractable TLE.

Materials And Methods: Patients underwent a high resolution MRI, prolonged Video-EEG monitoring before 18F FDG and 11C FMZ PET studies.

A comparative study on the uptake and incorporation of radiolabeled methionine, choline and fluorodeoxyglucose in human astrocytoma.

Purpose: The goal of this investigation was to evaluate uptake and incorporation of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), 11C-methionine, and 11C-choline in 17 patients suspected of grade-II and grade-III tumors using positron emission tomography (PET) and use in vitro astrocytoma cell lines in order to support in vivo findings.

Methods: Seventeen patients with suspected astrocytomas (9 grade-II and 8 grade-III) were studied by PET with FDG and 11C-methionine; and one patient (grade-III) with FDG, 11C-methionine and 11C-choline. Uptake of PET molecular imaging probe was quantitative based on tumor to corresponding contralateral-region uptake ratio, tumor to mean-cortical-uptake ratio, and tumor to white matter uptake ratio.

Brain imaging of 18F-fallypride in normal volunteers: blood analysis, distribution, test-retest studies, and preliminary assessment of sensitivity to aging effects on dopamine D-2/D-3 receptors.

Human studies of dopamine D2/D3 receptors using 18F-fallypride-PET in normal volunteers were performed to evaluate brain distribution in striatal and extrastriatal regions, evaluate metabolites in blood plasma, establish PET imaging protocol for this new radiotracer, evaluate graphical methods of analysis to quantitate D2/D3 receptors, and assess the ability of 18F-fallypride to measure changes in D2/D3 receptors with aging as a model. Subjects (6; 21-63 years) had a PET scan on a Siemens HR+ scanner with 18F-fallypride and a T1-weighted MRI scan on a 1.5T GE scanner for purposes of anatomical coregistration with PET.

Cortical dysplasia localized by [11C]methionine positron emission tomography: case report.

Numerous functional neuroimaging techniques have progressively been added to the presurgical evaluation of refractory partial epilepsies. These investigations can help confirm the origin of seizure onset previously suggested by MR imaging and electro-clinical data, provide independent prognostic information, and provide critical diagnostic value when MR imaging results are strictly normal or show multifocal abnormalities. Of the various functional neuroimaging modalities, [11C]methionine positron emission tomography for methionine uptake into seizure foci is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.