Novel Quantitative Approach in Functional and Structural Imaging of Brain in Normal Ageing and Neurodegenerative Disorders: Part II. Clinical Applications of Positron Emission Tomography

Chetsadaporn Promteangtrong; Marcus Kolber; Priya Ramchandra; Ahmad Rajaa; Sina Houshmand; Thomas J. Wernera; Manouchehr Seyedi Vafaee; Alireza Majdi; Abbas Alavi

doi:10.13183/jecns.v6i1.95

Chetsadaporn Promteangtrong Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Marcus Kolber Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Priya Ramchandra Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ahmad Rajaa Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sina Houshmand Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Thomas J. Wernera Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Manouchehr Seyedi Vafaee Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Alireza Majdi Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abbas Alavi Department of Radiology, Divisions of Nuclear Medicine and Neuroradiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13183/jecns.v6i1.95

Abstract

Aging results in measurable alterations in brain anatomy and function. Several theories about the origins of brain aging have been developed. Inflammation, replicative senescence, continuous shortening of chromosomes (telomere theory), and oxidative stress, are amongst factors affecting life span. Also, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the two most common age-related neurodegenerative disorders. As a highly prevalent health problem, the accurate identification of these disorders is challenging. Modern functional and structural imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might allow investigators to better understand pathophysiologic changes in AD and PD. However, these technics have several flaws which limit their use in clinical settings. Here, we deep dive into the existing and novel quantitative approaches of PET imaging for normal aging and its applications in neurodegenerative disorders such as AD and PD.