Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) News and Research

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Latest achievements in brain research and treatment for mental disorders

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

30 Aug 2010

Scientists identify chemical system effective in cocaine-addiction cure

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug."We found that the amount of blood flow in areas of the brain known to be involved in the rewarding effects of cocaine and craving was different in cocaine addicts, compared with healthy subjects," said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and lead author of a study that appeared in Neuropsychopharmacology. "Now we have a new target for pharmacologic intervention."

11 Aug 2010

GenSpera acquires patent application for medical imaging technology

GenSpera, Inc. announced that it has acquired a patent application from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Copenhagen for technology relating to medical imaging. The technology incorporates derivatives of thapsigargin, the active ingredient in GenSpera's therapeutics program, coupled with its patented tumor-targeted peptides, to create cancer-specific imaging compounds.

4 Aug 2010

Molecular imaging fusion with CT anatomy results in precise localization of parathyroid lesions: Research

SNM's 2010 Image of the Year illustrates the potential of hybrid molecular imaging to provide precise information about the location and function of a condition known as "hyperparathyroidism." Researchers selected this image from more than 1,500 studies presented over the course of four days during SNM's 57th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

16 Jun 2010

PET imaging with flurpiridaz F 18 better than technetium-99m sestamibi SPECT for CAD detection

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic medical imaging, today announced preliminary data from a single site participating in the multicenter Phase 2 clinical trial that showed that Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with its novel investigational agent flurpiridaz F 18 injection (formerly known as BMS747158) provided better image quality than technetium-99m sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), the current standard for the non-invasive detection of coronary artery disease (CAD).

8 Jun 2010

TU Delft, MI Labs combine microPET and microSPECT into Versatile Emission Computed Tomography device

TU Delft and Molecular Imaging Labs (MI Labs) have succeeded in combining two forms of medical imaging techniques into one piece of equipment. These techniques are particularly useful for cancer research.

2 Jun 2010

Researchers use CASL MRI technique to map cerebral blood flow patterns in schizophrenic patients

Researchers in Germany have used a magnetic resonance imaging technique called continuous arterial spin labeling to map cerebral blood flow patterns in schizophrenic patients quickly and without using radiation or contrast agents. Their findings appear in the online edition and July printed issue of the journal Radiology.

26 May 2010

Lantheus Medical Imaging announces preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI agent

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, today announced preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 (formerly known as BMS747158), its novel compound in development as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) agent. The study of nine patients compared rest-stress flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI, with rest-stress technetium-99m (Tc-99m) labeled single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for the detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD).

16 Mar 2010

Pulmonary embolism can be diagnosed by combining SPECT and low-dose CT, shows research

When it comes to diagnosing pulmonary embolism-a sudden blockage in the lung artery that could be deadly if not treated-which technique is the most effective?

2 Dec 2009

Perceptive Informatics announces the expansion of its medical imaging capabilities for cardiology clinical trials

Perceptive Informatics, a leading eClinical solutions provider and a subsidiary of PAREXEL International Corporation, today announced that it has expanded its leading medical imaging capabilities with advanced nuclear imaging functionality for cardiology clinical trials.

From Parexel 17 Nov 2009

UOHI to receive $5.4M federal funds for development of new alternative radioisotope imaging tracers

Researchers from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) will receive nearly half of a $5.4 million federal fund to help solve a shortage of medical isotopes resulting from the shutdown of the Chalk River nuclear reactor. Two research teams will develop two new alternative radioisotope imaging tracers, test new applications for their use in diagnosing heart disease, and fast track production and distribution as quickly as possible across Canada.

10 Nov 2009

EUSA Pharma's PROSTASCINT effective in guiding targeted prostate cancer treatment

EUSA Pharma announced that PROSTASCINT® (capromab pendetide) fusion imaging was shown to effectively guide prostate cancer therapy targeting and dosing and is a significant predictor of disease free survival, according to data presented on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at the 51st American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

4 Nov 2009

NIMH awards SRI International a $6.3M contract for study of ligands for brain imaging research

SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, announced today that it has been awarded a $6.3 million contract by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to conduct preclinical safety studies of promising novel ligands that will be used for brain imaging research and clinical applications.

6 Oct 2009

Coronary calcium scoring may predict heart attack risk

Researchers may be able to predict future severe cardiac events in patients with known, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary calcium scoring, according to a study published in the online edition of Radiology.

28 Jul 2009

Chinese body and mind training gets results with students in just 5 days!

Chinese researchers have unravelled how a training technique adapted from traditional Chinese medicine works to reduce stress and enhance learning.

19 May 2009

Symptoms of fibromyalgia related to dysfunction in parts of brain where pain is processed

Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), researchers in France were able to detect functional abnormalities in certain regions in the brains of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, reinforcing the idea that symptoms of the disorder are related to a dysfunction in those parts of the brain where pain is processed.

4 Nov 2008

Researchers find link between altered dopamine activity and social anxiety disorder

Using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), researchers in The Netherlands were able to detect biochemical differences in the brains of individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), providing evidence of a long-suspected biological cause for the dysfunction.

12 May 2008

Exposure to organic solvents linked to disturbances in brain circuitry

Chronic occupational exposure to organic solvents, found in materials such as paints, printing and dry cleaning agents, is widespread all over the world, and is thought to damage the central nervous system.

16 Apr 2008

Molecular imaging provides a better way to visualize heart disease

Technically advanced molecular imaging provides a 3-D way to significantly improve the diagnosis of heart disease, according to researchers at the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest molecular imaging and nuclear medicine society.

5 Jun 2007

Boston Life Sciences announces issuance of U.S. patent for methods to diagnose ADHD

Boston Life Sciences has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent to the President and Fellows of Harvard College, the General Hospital Corporation and Organix that covers methods of diagnosing and monitoring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by assessing the level of dopamine transporter (DAT) in at least one region of a patient's central nervous system.

14 Aug 2006