A new noninvasive quantitative assessment of cerebral blood flow using N-isopropyl-(iodine 123)p-iodoamphetamine.

The use of a nomogram is described as a new noninvasive quantitative assessment of cerebral blood flow using N-isopropyl-(123I)p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and single-photon emission computed tomography. The nomogram was constructed from a computer analysis of the flow value relative to varying washout rate of brain activities between early and late tomographic images, and partition coefficient between brain tissue and blood. The validity of this method was evaluated in normal volunteers and in patients with cerebrovascular disorders by comparing the cortical flow values (Y) estimated from the IMP-nomogram with initial slope indices (X) by the 133Xe inhalation method. A significant correlation (N = 42, r = 0.88, P less than .001) was demonstrated between them, and the regression line was Y = 1.6X-7. A development and confirmation of this method made it possible to measure flow values noninvasively with the use of IMP.