Covariance statistics and network analysis of brain PET imaging studies.

The analysis of structural and functional neuroimaging data using graph theory has increasingly become a popular approach for visualising and understanding anatomical and functional relationships between different cerebral areas. In this work we applied a network-based approach for brain PET studies using population-based covariance matrices, with the aim to explore topological tracer kinetic differences in cross-sectional investigations. Simulations, test-retest studies and applications to cross-sectional datasets from three different tracers ([F]FDG, [F]FDOPA and [C]SB217045) and more than 400 PET scans were investigated to assess the applicability of the methodology in healthy controls and patients.

Assessing the feasibility of intranasal radiotracer administration for in brain PET imaging.

Introduction: The development of clinically useful tracers for PET imaging is enormously challenging and expensive. The intranasal (IN) route of administration is purported to be a viable route for delivering drugs to the brain but has, as yet, not been investigated for the delivery of PET tracers. If the intranasal (IN) pathway presents a viable option, it extends the PET imaging field by increasing the number of tracers available for human use.