Anatomic and Molecular Brain Imaging: Application of Cortical Thickness Mapping assessed by MRI to Functional (18F)-Flumazenil-PET Examinations

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Molecular imaging with Positron emission tomography (PET) is one of the most selective and sensitive methods for investigating tissue function in vivo. New developments in technical equipment and particularly advances in image-processing and study-quantification enable investigation of smaller-sized structures, even though the spatial resolution of PET is limited. The accuracy of quantitative measurements is influenced by mixed tissue sampling and partial volume, especially in small structures and which is increased in the presence of cortical atrophy. In addition regional anatomical factors (e.g. differences in cortical thickness or cortical changes across time) were shown to influence PET-tracer-binding in patients and normal controls [1], which underlines the importance of combining anatomy and function in the analysis of functional imaging data. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have made it possible to quantify “cortical thickness" in millimetres [2,3], an anatomical information which can then be used as reference for correction of PET-data. The main objective of this investigation is to enhance and validate a new application of cortical thickness mapping assessed by individual MRI to functional PET examinations using the example of flumazenil, which binds to the central benzodiazepine receptor (cBZR)-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor complex in normal controls and in stroke patients. Besides this, new methods for quantification of PET-investigations will be acquired at one of the world-leading department for functional imaging in Neurology. The learned expertise, are to be implemented at the University of Munich for further investigations and studies which are planed to be performed and analyzed with these techniques.