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The Use and Applications of Single-Photon Emission Computerised Tomography in Dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

D. P. Geaney  and
M. T. Abou-Saleh
D. P. Geaney*
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX
M. T. Abou-Saleh
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool L69 3BX
*
∗Correspondence
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Extract

The introduction of single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) has markedly enhanced the study of brain function. The development of SPECT was the culmination of a series of investigations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) pioneered by Kety and Schmidt in the late 1940s combined with the introduction of transmission computerised tomography (CT) in the early 1960s, in which three-dimensional images are derived from two-dimensional data. Positron-emission tomography (PET), in addition to providing information on cerebral blood flow, also allows the evaluation of brain metabolism and neurotransmitter receptor function. However, the technology required for PET is expensive and sophisticated, with little prospect for general clinical application. Fortunately, SPECT is relatively cheap and is widely available for clinical use. We aim to review the principles and basic techniques of SPECT, its present utility and application to clinical practice, and its future potential in the investigation of brain function.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 157 , Issue S9: Brain imaging in psychiatry , December 1990 , pp. 66 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

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