Development of Imaging, Clinical and Biochemical Bio-Markers for Parkinson's Disease

"Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography~SPECT imaging uses the single photon emissions from radioactive compounds that are (most commonly) injected into a patient and are metabolized by specific organs or body systems. SPECT imaging is performed by using a gamma camera to acquire multiple 2-D images (also called projections), from multiple angles. A computer is then used to apply a tomographic reconstruction algorithm to the multiple projections, yielding a 3-D dataset. This dataset may then be manipulated to show thin slices along any chosen axis of the body, similar to those obtained from other tomographic techniques, such as MRI, CT, and PET. The resulting SPECT images reflect body/organ function as opposed to specific anatomy of other imaging modalities such as CT or MRI."