Research Applications of Selected 123I-labeled Neuroreceptor SPECT Imaging Ligands

Neuroreceptor imaging is a promising area of brain imaging used to investigate various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. In the research setting, radiopharmaceuticals targeted to specific areas of the brain are used along with SPECT to assess and analyze functional mechanisms within brain structures. Utilization of the data that are collected from these studies may aid in the development of drug therapies that can be used to relieve symptoms or delay progression of certain disease states. After reading this article, the nuclear medicine technologist should be able to identify and describe the role of structures in the brain, identify various radiopharmaceuticals used and the disease states they demonstrate, and become familiar with the drugs used in treatment of these disorders.