NeuroPET: Positron Emission Tomography in Neuroscience and Clinical Neurology

Positron emission tomography (PET) provides unbiased in vivo measurement of local tracer activity at very high sensitivity. This is a unique property unmatched by other imaging modalities. When PET was introduced into medicine more than 25 years ago, the first organ of major interest was the brain. Since then, PET has flourished as an extremely powerful and versatile tool in scientific brain studies, whereas its use as a diagnostic tool in clinical neurology remains limited. This is in contrast to its use in other applications, particularly oncology, where its value in clinical diagnosis is more widely appreciated. We think this situation is unfortunate, because PET can contribute more to clinical neurology and clinical neuroscience than is generally perceived today.
 Realization of its potential will require very close cooperation between PET experts and clinicians and the integration of PET into clinical studies. Thus, in this book we review PET in neuroscience,with particular emphasis on findings that indicate its potential for improving diagno­sis and treatment in neurology and psychiatry. We want to improve the trans­ferability of the enormous scientific advances in brain PET into clinical care to produce tangible human benefit.