PET physiological measurements using constant infusion.

A wide range of study designs can be used with positron emission tomography methods to provide quantitative measurements of physiological parameters. While bolus injection of tracer is the conventional approach, use of combined bolus plus constant infusion provides a number of advantages for receptor-binding tracers. Of recent interest is the use of this approach to dynamically follow the displacement of tracer during in vivo changes in neurotransmitter concentrations. This paper provides an overview of the tradeoffs in using bolus/infusion methods versus conventional bolus injection for receptor binding studies.