RECENT ADVANCES IN POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING OF BRAIN

Positron emission tomography (PET) has been widely used to non-invasively study various functions of the brain, the pathophysiology of disease and aid in drug development. PET and selective radiolabeled molecules allow imaging of certain critical components of the functioning of healthy and diseased brain. The shortage of available PET radioligands for studying the functioning of the brain is a major limiting factor for expanding their use in research and implementation in a clinical setting. Thus, the development of novel PET radioligands for further understanding brain functions is a key factor for advancement in the field. This article provides an overview of recent developments of novel PET radioligands for imaging various functions of healthy and diseased brain, highlighting the recent development of novel PET radioligands for a monoamine transporter, describing the use of pharmacological challenges combined with PET imaging to measure neurotransmitter release and potential imaging biomarkers of disease pathology. In summary, the article reviews recent developments in the field of PET imaging of the brain.