Scientists from the Werner Siemens Imaging Center at the University of Tübingen led by Professor Bernd J. Pichler in collaboration with the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the University Hospital of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen have developed a new measuring instrument called PET/MR.

For the first time, the researchers have shown that the imaging methods PET and fMRI provide complementary information. The newly developed device was used to simultanously generate PET and MR images. The researchers were able to demonstrate that there are differences between the glucose metabolism detected using PET and the changes in oxygen saturation measured in the brain using fMRI. These regional differences allow a better understanding of how the brain works.

The research team recently published its findings in the journal “Nature Medicine”.

Source (in German): http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news548296

Original publication:
Hans F Wehrl, Mosaddek Hossain, Konrad Lankes, Chih-Chieh Liu, Ilja Bezrukov, Petros Martirosian, Fritz Schick, Gerald Reischl & Bernd J Pichler (2013): Simultaneous PET-MRI reveals brain function in activated and resting state on metabolic, hemodynamic and multiple temporal scales. Nature Medicine, doi:10.1038/nm.3290

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Bernd J. Pichler
Universität Tübingen und Universitätsklinikum Tübingen
Medizinische Fakultät
Werner Siemens Imaging Center
Department für Präklinische Bildgebung und Radiopharmazie
Telefon +49 7071 29- 83450
bernd.pichler[at]med.uni-tuebingen.de