PET has been used to study normal organ function and disease states. For example, PET research triggered a revolution in our understanding of energy metabolism during normal brain work. PET is not limited to any one organ and has already been applied to brain, heart, lung, liver, and bone. PET can be applied to disorders of many causes including congenital, developmental, infectious, neoplastic, traumatic, and degenerative diseases. New clinical applications being developed at several centers include the diagnosis of depressive disorders, head trauma, liver and bone cancer.
PET explores the brain's organization for perception, action, language, attention, and emotion.
We are combining PET studies with MRI anatomical images and electrical brain mapping to provide a comprehensive picture of the brain's organization. Researchers at the RIC are also involved in investigating numerous diseases and disorders including depression, epilepsy, head trauma, stuttering, deafness, and cardiac ischemia.