Premium
In Vivo Imaging of Neurotransmission and Brain Receptors in Dementia
Author(s) -
Pappatà Sabina,
Salvatore Elena,
Postiglione Alfredo
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00194.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neuroscience , neurochemical , positron emission tomography , serotonergic , dementia , dopaminergic , neurotransmitter , in vivo , neurotransmission , human brain , disease , dopamine , pathology , receptor , psychiatry , serotonin , psychology , nuclear medicine , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) are the most sensitive techniques to study, in vivo, neurotransmitter systems in normal human brain and in diseases. These methods have been applied over the last years to explore the integrity of cholinergic, serotonergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic systems in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in other dementias. The results of these investigations have provided new insights into the neurotransmission involvement in these disorders. Moreover, these methods provide objective quantitative markers for monitoring the progression of disease and the effects of therapies. The pathophysiological and clinical relevance of results from these studies are reviewed and the potential role in early and differential diagnosis discussed. New emerging radiotracers/methods for future investigations of neurochemical processes are delineated.