Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation |
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| MRI | Video EEG | Neuropsychological Testing | Wada | PET | SPECT | MEG | Implanted Electrodes |
PET - Positron Emission Tomography
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a type of nuclear medicine that measures metabolic activity of cells. PET is actually a combination of nuclear medicine and biochemical analysis. PET helps to visualize the biochemical changes taking place in the brain that may be causing your seizures.
Procedure
Generally, PET scan procedure follows this process:
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You may not eat or drink four hours before the test is scheduled.
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You will lay on a table that slides into the middle of the PET scanner.
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A small amount of radioactive material is injected to the vein.
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The scanner detects gamma rays and maps an image of the area, allowing the physician to see the location of the metabolic process. For example, glucose (or sugar, which the body uses to produce energy), combined with a radioisotope, will show where glucose is being used in the brain.
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The procedure may last 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the specific type of PET examination.
Source: http://www.mcghealth.org/Greystone/adult/radiology/pet.html
