Rb and [O]HO myocardial perfusion PET imaging: a prospective head to head comparison.

Background: Rb PET and [O]HO PET are both validated tracers for myocardical perfusion imaging but have not previously been compared clinically. During our site's transition from Rb to [O]HO PET, we performed a head-to-head comparison in a mixed population with suspected ischemic heart disease.

Methods: A total of 37 patients referred for perfusion imaging due to suspicion of coronary stenosis were examined with both Rb and [O]HO PET on the same day in rest and during adenosine-induced stress.

[F]FE-PE2I PET is a feasible alternative to [I]FP-CIT SPECT for dopamine transporter imaging in clinically uncertain parkinsonism.

Background: Dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging of striatum is clinically used in Parkinson's disease (PD) and neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes (PS) especially in the early disease stages. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the recently developed tracer for DAT imaging [F]FE-PE2I PET/CT to the reference standard [I]FP-CIT SPECT.

Methods: Ninety-eight unselected patients referred for DAT imaging were included prospectively and consecutively and evaluated with [F]FE-PE2I PET/CT and [I]FP-CIT SPECT on two separate days.

Non-invasive quantification of cerebral glucose metabolism using Gjedde-Patlak plot and image-derived input function from the aorta.

Introduction: We aimed at evaluating a Gjedde-Patlak plot and non-invasive image-derived input functions (IDIF) from the aorta to quantify cerebral glucose metabolic rate (CMRglc) in comparison to the reference standard based on sampling the arterial input function (AIF).

Method: Six healthy subjects received 200 MBq [F]FDG simultaneously with the initiation of a three-part dynamic PET recording consisting of a 15 min-recording of the aorta, a 40 min-recording of the brain and finally 2 min-recording of the aorta. Simultaneously, the arterial F concentration was measured via arterial cannulation.

Identifying dominant-negative actions of a dopamine transporter variant in patients with parkinsonism and neuropsychiatric disease.

Dysfunctional dopaminergic neurotransmission is central to movement disorders and mental diseases. The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates extracellular dopamine levels, but the genetic and mechanistic link between DAT function and dopamine-related pathologies is not clear. Particularly, the pathophysiological significance of monoallelic missense mutations in DAT is unknown.

Surveillance With PET/CT and Liquid Biopsies of Stage I-III Lung Cancer Patients After Completion of Definitive Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial (SUPER).

Despite increased focus on prevention as well as improved treatment possibilities, lung cancer remains among the most frequent and deadliest cancer diagnoses worldwide. Even lung cancer patients treated with curative intent have a high risk of relapse, leading to a dismal prognosis. More knowledge on the efficacy of surveillance with both current and new technologies as well as on the impact on patient treatment, quality of life, and survival are urgently needed.

Early lesion-specific (18)F-FDG PET response to chemotherapy predicts time to lesion progression in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background And Purpose: We hypothesize that the lesion-to-lesion variability in FDG-PET response after one cycle of chemotherapy for NSCLC in an individual patient may inform radiation dose redistribution. To test this hypothesis, we investigate if time to lesion-progression in patients with multiple lesions is dependent on lesion-specific response to chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 81 patients with 184 lesions referred to curative chemo-radiotherapy for NSCLC 2010-2012.

Curriculum for education and training of medical physicists in nuclear medicine: recommendations from the EANM Physics Committee, the EANM Dosimetry Committee and EFOMP.

Purpose: To provide a guideline curriculum covering theoretical and practical aspects of education and training for Medical Physicists in Nuclear Medicine within Europe.

Material And Methods: National training programmes of Medical Physics, Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine physics from a range of European countries and from North America were reviewed and elements of best practice identified. An independent panel of experts was used to achieve consensus regarding the content of the curriculum.

Proposal for the standardisation of multi-centre trials in nuclear medicine imaging: prerequisites for a European 123I-FP-CIT SPECT database.

Purpose: Multi-centre trials are an important part of proving the efficacy of procedures, drugs and interventions. Imaging components in such trials are becoming increasingly common; however, without sufficient control measures the usefulness of these data can be compromised. This paper describes a framework for performing high-quality multi-centre trials with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), using a pan-European initiative to acquire a normal control dopamine transporter brain scan database as an example.

Calibration of gamma camera systems for a multicentre European ¹²³I-FP-CIT SPECT normal database.

Purpose: A joint initiative of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Neuroimaging Committee and EANM Research Ltd. aimed to generate a European database of [(123)I]FP-CIT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans of healthy controls. This study describes the characterization and harmonization of the imaging equipment of the institutions involved.

A positron emission tomography study of wind-up pain in chronic postherniotomy pain.

Many neuropathic pain conditions are characterized by abnormal responses to noxious or innocuous mechanical stimulation, including wind-up pain. Whereas previous brain imaging studies have explored the cerebral correlates of hyperalgesia and allodynia, no studies are available on mechanical-induced wind-up pain in neuropathic pain patients. We therefore used positron emission tomography (PET) to investigate the cerebral response pattern of mechanical wind-up pain in a homogenous group of 10 neuropathic pain patients with long-standing postherniotomy pain in the groin area.

Differences in cortical and pituitary activity in response to hypoglycaemia and cognitive testing in healthy men with different basal activity of the renin-angiotensin system.

Introduction: High renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity has been associated with a high risk of severe hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 diabetes and with cognitive deterioration during experimental hypoglycaemia in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to describe possible differences in cerebral activity during hypoglycaemia and cognitive testing in two groups of healthy men with different basal RAS activity.

Methods: Ten healthy men with high RAS activity and 10 with low activity underwent six oxygen-15-labelled water positron emission tomography scans: twice during normoglycaemia, twice during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and twice during post-hypoglycaemia.

Dual-modality PET/CT instrumentation-today and tomorrow.

Positron emission tomography (PET) has proven to be a clinically valuable imaging modality, particularly for oncology staging and therapy follow-up. The introduction of combined PET/CT imaging has helped address challenging imaging situations when anatomical information on PET-only was inadequate for accurate lesion localization. After a decade of PET/CT these combined systems have matured technically.

FDG PET and PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour PET imaging: version 1.0.

The aim of this guideline is to provide a minimum standard for the acquisition and interpretation of PET and PET/CT scans with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). This guideline will therefore address general information about[18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) and is provided to help the physician and physicist to assist to carrying out,interpret, and document quantitative FDG PET/CT examinations,but will concentrate on the optimisation of diagnostic quality and quantitative information.

Association between regional cerebral blood flow during hypoglycemia and genetic and phenotypic traits of the renin-angiotensin system.

The risk of severe hypoglycemia in patients with type I diabetes and high basal activity in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is significantly higher than in patients with low basal RAS activity. In healthy men, we tested the hypothesis that differences in spontaneous RAS activity are associated with differences in cerebral activity responses during mild hypoglycemia. A total of 10 healthy men with high and 10 with low spontaneous RAS activity were selected.

Changes of cognition and regional cerebral activity during acute hypoglycemia in normal subjects: A H2 15O positron emission tomographic study.

Blurred vision and cognitive difficulties are prominent symptoms during acute insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Our hypothesis was that changes in cerebral activity reflect these symptoms. Positron emission tomography (PET) with oxygen-15-labelled water was used to measure relative changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) as a marker of cerebral activity.

An active learning approach to the physics of medical imaging.

This paper describes an experimentally oriented medical imaging course where the students record, process and analyse 3D data of an unknown piece of formalin fixed porcine tissue hidden in agar in order to estimate the tissue types present in a selected 2D slice. The recorded planar X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and SPECT images show the tissue in very different ways. The students can only estimate the tissue type by studying the physical principles of the imaging modalities.

Cluster analysis in kinetic modelling of the brain: a noninvasive alternative to arterial sampling.

In emission tomography, quantification of brain tracer uptake, metabolism or binding requires knowledge of the cerebral input function. Traditionally, this is achieved with arterial blood sampling. We propose a noninvasive alternative via the use of a blood vessel time-activity curve (TAC) extracted directly from dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) scans by cluster analysis.