Central Adrenergic Receptors as Mediators of Central Response to Stress: Study with Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

摘要

This report describes initial studies designed to investigate the effects of a high degree of neurological alertness on brain metabolism. Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to quantitate brain metabolism using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as an indicator of glucose uptake during mental stimulation provided by playing a video game (Mooncrash) for 30 minutes. Brain metabolism in 22 regions during neurological alertness was compared with the resting state. In most subjects there was a marked increase in brain metabolism with stimulation, however there was tremendous variability in brain metabolism in the eight subjects. Consistent patterns of activation were found with maximal activation in primary visual cortex, followed by parieto-occipital cortex, cerebellum and thalamus.