Many breakthrough scientific discoveries have been made using opioid imaging. Developments include the application of ever higher resolution whole-brain positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, the availability of several radioligands, the combination of PET with advanced structural imaging, advances in modeling macroparameters of PET ligand binding, and large-scale statistical analysis of imaging datasets. Suitable single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tracers are lacking, but with the increase in the number of available PET (or PET/CT) cameras and cyclotrons thanks to the clinical successes of PET in oncology, PET may become widespread enough to overcome this. In the coming decade, there should be a more widespread application of the available techniques to patients and an impact in clinical medicine.
aDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Rd., London W12 0NN, UK
bEpilepsy Group, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Room 243, Cyclotron Building, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Rd., London W12 0NN, UK
cDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
dAcademic Unit of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, Cotham House, Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JL, UK
eImaging Department, Division of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, DuCane Rd., London W12 0NN, UK
Corresponding author. Epilepsy Group, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Room 243, Cyclotron Building, Hammersmith Hospital, DuCane Rd., London W12 0NN, UK.
This article was previously published in Neuroimaging Clinics 2006;16;529–52.
Dr. Hammers was funded by an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (G108/585).
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