PET scanner visualizes brain activity during cough

In this study, the researchers evaluated whether the experimental PET system could clarify brain activity during CiTA. This would allow clinicians to predict whether CiTA will be effective before attempting it in patients with brain lesions who have sustained damage to the regions related to cough control, they wrote. The group enrolled 24 healthy patients who underwent separate O-15 water PET scans during four tasks: resting, voluntary cough, induced cough (where participants were induced by CiTA), and suppressed cough. Participants were fitted with masks for cough measurements during two-minute PET scans. The tussive agent (tartaric acid) was delivered through the mask connected to a nebulizer via a nylon tube, with the nebulizer turned on for 20 seconds and off for 10 seconds for a total of two cycles.Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) results. Brain regions with significant activation in voluntary cough (A), induced cough (B), and suppressed cough (C) compared with rest. Image courtesy of Scientific Reports. During the PET scans, the participants also wore a head cap with four LED markers. The locations of these markers were tracked by two high-speed cameras mounted at the back of the scanner’s gantry. This data was integrated by an algorithm during image reconstruction to correct for head motion every four milliseconds. According to the results, whole-brain analyses revealed that volunteer cough chiefly activated the cerebellum extending to the pons. In contrast,...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Neuroradiology Source Type: news