Medical imaging in neurological disorders.

Functional imaging is clinically useful in evaluating cerebrovascular disease, dementia, and presurgical localization of epileptic foci. Both PET and SPECT are complex technologies that must be performed carefully to yield interpretable images. SPECT and PET images can be very useful in detecting the changes in blood flow or glucose metabolism of epileptogenic tissues, although image interpretation in infants and young children must consider the differing types and levels of activity in the developing brain. PET and SPECT are being used to evaluate a new generation of antiparkinsonian medications aimed at slowing the course of the disease, rather than simply symptom abatement.