The MINDVIEW project: First results

Abstract

We present the first results of the MINDVIEW project. An innovative imaging system for the human brain examination, allowing simultaneous acquisition of PET/MRI images, has been designed and constructed. It consists of a high sensitivity and high resolution PET scanner integrated in a novel, head-dedicated, radio frequency coil for a 3T MRI scanner. Preliminary measurements from the PET scanner show sensitivity 3 times higher than state-of-the-art PET systems that will allow safe repeated studies on the same patient. The achieved spatial resolution, close to 1 mm, will enable differentiation of relevant brain structures for schizophrenia. A cost-effective and simple method of radiopharmaceutical production from C-carbon monoxide and a mini-clean room has been demonstrated. It has been shown thatC-raclopride has higher binding potential in a new VAAT null mutant mouse model of schizophrenia compared to wild type control animals. A significant reduction in TSPO binding has been found in gray matter in a small sample of drug-naïve, first episode psychosis patients, suggesting a reduced number or an altered function of immune cells in brain at early stage schizophrenia.

TSPO in diverse CNS pathologies and psychiatric disease: A critical review and a way forward

“…Psychiatric disorders are no exception in the quest to use TSPO as a biomarker of neuroinflammation and the last 5 years have seen a number of reports with mixed results [see review by De Picker et al, 2017]. Paradoxically, some studies have provided the first description of decreased rather than increased brain TSPO levels in schizophrenia [Coliste et al, 2017;Benlloch et al, 2018] and in major depression [Li et al, 2018]. Overall, studies have found increased, decreased, or no change in brain TSPO levels in schizophrenia [De Picker et al, 2017] and in depression [Hannestad et al, 2013;Setiawan et al, 2015;Holmes et al, 2017;Li et al, 2018;Richards et al, 2018;Setiawan et al, 2018] compared to age-matched controls using PET imaging with radiolabeled R-PK11195 or with second generation TSPO PET ligands.…”

Development of Dedicated Brain PET Imaging Devices: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

“…A scanner consisting of 60 detector modules arranged in 3 rings with a diameter of 33 cm and a total axial coverage of 15.2 cm (Fig. 5E) was recently built (62). The 1.6-mm hot rods could be visualized in the Derenzolike phantom images.…”

Design and Detector Performance of the PET Component of the TRIMAGE PET/MR/EEG Scanner

“…Alternatively, the multiple modalities can be integrated to run simultaneously within a single multi-modal scanner. This approach is available today either in the form of whole-body PET/MR systems coupled with MR-compatible EEG caps, or with brain-dedicated PET insert prototypes, developed and tested on MRI scanners that were already installed and available for clinical use [1]- [5]. The PET insert approach proved to achieve better performance in terms of spatial resolution and N. Belcari (e-mail: nicola.belcari@unipi.it), M.G.…”

“…The relatively small bore size, if compared with the size of a whole-body PET system, makes the capability of the detector to estimate the depth of interaction (DOI) a real need for mitigating the parallax error. In fact, most recent prototypes are featuring some sort of DOI estimation by using layered [4] or monolithic crystals [5]. Different methods are also used for extracting the signals from SiPMs ranging from a solution where all the readout electronics is located outside the MR bore [2] to others where preamplifiers and readout circuitry are placed right behind the SiPMs and typically enclosed in a shielded cassette [3]- [5].…”