Dynamic In Vivo Imaging of Receptors in Small Animals Using Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that is used to study biological processes in vivo. Data obtained in a PET scan can provide information regarding tissue physiology or pathophysiology, as well as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information. It is the most sensitive technique available to image and quantify receptor distributions in vivo, and it has been used extensively to study major neurotransmitter systems such as the dopamine, serotonin, benzodiazepine, opiate, and cholinergic systems (1 ). Over the years, PET has increasingly been recognized as a very powerful tool to accelerate development and assessment of existing and novel drugs (6 –7 ).