Positron Emission Tomography (PET) News and Research

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Brain scans reveal lower serotonin transporters in people with mild cognitive impairment

In a study looking at brain scans of people with mild loss of thought and memory ability, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence of lower levels of the serotonin transporter -- a natural brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and appetite.

14 Aug 2017

Researchers reveal potential of radiomics to improve precision medicine

Precision medicine has become the leading innovation of cancer treatment. Patients are routinely treated with drugs that are designed to target specific tumors and molecules.

3 Aug 2017

SNMMI recognizes contributions to nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at 2017 annual meeting

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), an international scientific and medical organization, recognized contributions to the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during its 2017 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the valuable role SNMMI members play in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, cancer and neurological conditions.

2 Aug 2017

Combining intraoperative imaging with PET scans helps surgeons remove hidden cancer cells

Surgeons were able to identify and remove a greater number of cancerous nodules from lung cancer patients when combining intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) – through the use of a contrast agent that makes tumor cells glow during surgery – with preoperative positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

27 Jul 2017

New method may help distinguish frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimer's disease

A new method may help determine whether a person has Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia, two different types of dementia that often have similar symptoms, according to a preliminary study published in the July 26, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Jul 2017

New PET-CT scan can diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis more accurately than traditional tests

Using a new imaging technique that can diagnose cardiac sarcoidosis much more accurately than traditional tests, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have found that the disease affects other organs in 40 percent of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

21 Jul 2017

Dementia researchers to receive £1.9 million funding for brain imaging project

Dementia researchers are to receive a £1.9 million investment to identify the earliest brain changes associated with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

14 Jul 2017

Novel small molecule tracer for PET imaging spots blood clots

Blood clots in veins and arteries can lead to heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism, which are major causes of mortality.

6 Jul 2017

Novel MRI method uses simple sugar solution instead of conventional contrast agents

In magnetic resonance imaging, contrast agents are used to enhance the imaging of tissue structures.

23 Jun 2017

Study reveals early indication of Alzheimer’s in adults with normal cognition

A new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC) reveals that older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques, yet normal cognition, experience faster mental decline, suggestive of Alzheimer's disease. The study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association on June 13 presented the earliest precursor—the toxic and sticky protein as part of the disease, before symptoms arise.

15 Jun 2017

Amount of amyloid plaques in the brain predicts rate of cognitive decline, study finds

A new study from the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas at Dallas has found that the amount of amyloid plaques in a person's brain predicts the rate at which his or her cognition will decline in the next four years.

15 Jun 2017

USC scientists illuminate impact of early brain-clogging plaques on Alzheimer's disease

Older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques -- but otherwise normal cognition -- experience faster mental decline suggestive of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC that looked at 10 years of data.

13 Jun 2017

Researchers uncover novel and non-invasive way to track dengue infection

Commonly used to detect solid tumors, positron emission tomography (PET) paired with the glucose metabolism probe, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), is considered 'old' technology in the field of cancer.

6 Jun 2017

Researchers reveal how social laughter leads to endorphin release in the brain

Finnish and British researchers have revealed how laughter releases endorphins in the human brain. The more opioid receptors the participants had in their brain, the more they laughed during the experiment.

1 Jun 2017

Cognitive tests can detect early Alzheimer's in people without symptoms, study suggests

Long before symptoms of Alzheimer's disease become apparent to patients and their families, biological changes are occurring within the brain. Amyloid plaques, which are clusters of protein fragments, along with tangles of protein known as tau, form in the brain and grow in number, eventually getting in the way of the brain's ability to function.

31 May 2017

New study reveals how brain's opioids modulate responses towards other people's pain

A new Finnish research reveals how brain's opioids modulate responses towards other people's pain.

31 May 2017

Drug-related cues increase craving, dopamine release in the brain of recreational cocaine users

Even among non-dependent cocaine users, cues associated with consumption of the drug lead to dopamine release in an area of the brain thought to promote compulsive use, according to researchers at McGill University.

24 May 2017

Researchers demonstrate multicolor 3D imaging of live mouse using compact Compton camera

Researchers invented a Compton camera of 580g which visualizes gamma rays of arbitrary energies, and succeeded in achieving a high-resolution, multicolor 3D molecular image of a live mouse administered with three different radioactive tracers in just 2 hours.

23 May 2017

Penn researcher searches for common factor linked to smell loss

Studies have shown that loss of the sense of smell can be among the first warning signs of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

10 May 2017

Photoacoustic imaging technique provides real-time view of small animal's internal functions

Biomedical engineers are now able to take a live, holistic look at the inner workings of a small animal with enough resolution to see active organs, flowing blood, circulating melanoma cells and firing neural networks.