Molecular Imaging in Clinical Investigation of Central Nervous System Diseases

摘要

Molecular imaging is an emerging technology used both in basic neurosciences and clinical practice that greatly enhances our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatmentin central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It is a novel multidisciplinary technique that can be defined as real-time visualization, in vivo characterization and qualification of biological processes at the molecular and cellular level. It involves both the imaging modalities and the corresponding imaging agents. Among all of the molecular imaging modalities, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have occupieda particular position that visualize and measure the physiological processes using high-affinity and highspecificity molecular radioactive tracers as imaging probes in intact living brain. Nowadays, amount of excellent and comprehensive literatures indicated that molecular imaging in neuroscience have provided tremendous insights into disturbed human brain function, particularly on its clinical application in Alzheimer's disease (AD) andParkinson’s disease (PD) as major CNS disorders.