PET Imaging

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is similar to SPECT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) because it uses the injection of a radioactive tracer, whose distribution in the body or the brain is directly related to a body function such as blood flow and/or metabolic function of an organ. It is distinguished from SPECT primarily because PET radiotracers are chemically more fundamental tracers, examples being radioactive carbon or glucose.

PET scanning developmental work has been more focused on understanding cancer metabolism or brain function related to dementia evaluation, such as in Alzheimer's disease.

SPECT imaging has been more widely available clinically and for a longer time, and thus there is much more experience using it to evaluate brain function in both children and adults with a wide variety of injuries and disorders of brain function.

SPECT brain scanning has become todays imaging modality of choice for evaluating brain function.