Amines for brain tomoscintigraphy.

Amines like N-isopropyl-p-123I-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and hydroxy 123I-iodobenzyl propyl diamine (HIPDM) associated with brain tomoscintigraphy have proved their worth for detecting ischaemic abnormalities. Even though the chemistry of their metabolism and their biodistribution are not fully understood, their application in the study of parenchymal impairment in stroke and reversible ischaemia yields additional information compared to the other methods of imaging like CT or MRI. The concept of a steady state in brain with a wash in/wash out model has been considered especially with IMP, to explain the evolution of the activity pattern with time when comparing early and delayed images. (This review leads to foresee the prognosis of of ischaemic diseases when redistribution is taken into account.)