The potential of PET/MR for brain imaging

Abstract

Introduction The completion of an integrated PET/MR prototype system for brain imaging is the latest step in the evolution of positron emission tomography. Early images with this new imaging system demonstrate that highresolution multiparametric studies can be combined without significant loss of performance of either imaging modality. Objective This new technology will make fusion of morphological and biological information much easier, yield real-time assessment of complementary variables and will provide dynamic information for kinetic model- IntroductionSince the first prototypes [1, 2] and the first commercial system [3], positron emission tomography (PET) has developed to multiring systems permitting high resolution and three-dimensional imaging of various physiological, functional and molecular targets. The first applications of PET were in brain research, and despite the many other diagnostic indications, particularly in oncology and cardiology, brain imaging remains a stronghold of PET.Therefore, this discussion of perspectives of an integrated PET/MR system is focused on research applications in neuroscience to which the combination of PET and MRI may add further impetus. This perspective is in parts speculative and it does not include a discussion of the technical or methodological challenges of combined PET/ MR imaging. These aspects are reviewed elsewhere in the articles of this supplement to EJNMMI. Development of PET for brain imagingThe progress in image quality may be followed by metabolic images of glucose consumption in one volunteer acquired on several generation PET systems over the years. The first transaxial image (Fig. 1a) was acquired on a single hexagonal array, the ECAT PET, which covered only the cortical rim. Early PET images suffered from limited spatial resolution (approximately 15 mm), low sensitivity and insufficient attenuation and scatter correction [3,4]. PET image quality improved with the four-ring PC-384 (Scanditronix) [5], which yielded seven simultaneous, partly overlapping transaxial images and that provided a spatial resolution of 8.4 mm FWHM across 12-mm slices (Fig. 1b) [6] and limited axial reconstruction (Fig. 2). Further improvements came with the Eur

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