Brain imaging with emission computed tomography and radiolabeled amines.

The noninvasive measurement of regional cerebral blood flow in man has been limited to expensive and specialized instrumentation available in only a few facilities throughout the world. Radiolabeled amines, such as I-123 iodoamphetamine, are lipophilic compounds, which are extracted by the brain proportional to blood flow. Scintigraphic maps of regional cerebral blood flow can therefore be obtained using commercially available radionuclides and standard single photon emission computed tomography instrumentation. I-123 iodoamphetamine imaging, therefore, permits the detection and assessment of altered perfusion in neurologic diseases, such as cerebral infarction and epilepsy. This physiologic information complements the anatomic and morphologic information provided by transmission computerized tomography.