First published in 1991, this book covers three major areas essential to in vivo biochemical studies with PET and SPECT: synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, biological modeling, and clinical applications. The book emphasizes advances in the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals used in PET and SPECT studies of brain flow and oxidatative metabolism, in addition to biological modeling. The most widely used 2-deoxyglucose/2-fluorodeoxyglucose models are discussed, as well as models used in the quantitation of brain receptors. Other topics include a possible model for converting 6-[18F] fluorodopa images into the quantitative rate of dopamine synthesis, evaluations of technetium- and iodine-labeled blood flow tracers, and possibilities for using SPECT to measure other pathophysiological variables. This book will be a valuable reference source to students and specialists interested in these in vivo measurements.
