PET Scan | How It Works | Animation

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IN PREPARATION FOR A PET SCAN, A PATIENT IS INJECTED WITH A MOLECULE THAT GIVES OFF RADIOACTIVE EMISSIONS. BECAUSE THE BRAIN USES GLUCOSE TO GENERATE ENERGY, A RADIOACTIVE VERSION OF GLUCOSE IS USED.

UPON INJECTION, CELLS THROUGHOUT THE BODY TAKE UP THE GLUCOSE, THE MORE ACTIVE THE CELLS, THE MORE GLUCOSE THEY TAKE UP.

THE PATIENT IS MOVED INTO THE SCANNER.

INSIDE THE SCANNER IS A RING OF DETECTORS THAT INTERCEPT RADIOACTIVE EMISSIONS FROM THE GLUCOSE THAT WAS INJECTED EARLIER.

THESE DETECTORS CAPTURE EMISSIONS FROM ALL SECTIONS OF THE BRAIN.

COMPUTERS ARE USED TO ANALYSE AND COLOR CODE THE NUMBER OF EMISSIONS FROM EACH SCANNED LOCATION.

THE RESULTING IMAGES REVEAL WHICH PARTS OF THE BRAIN WERE MOST ACTIVE.

THE IDEA HERE IS THAT THE PARTS THAT EMITTED THE MOST RADIOACTIVE EMISSIONS, TOOK IN THE MOST AMOUNTS OF GLUCOSE. For example, Because cancer cells are normally more active than normal tissue, cancer cells appear brighter. Therefore, scientists USE THIS METHOD to detect the location of cancerous tumors, if any spread has occurred, and determine how well a treatment is working.

RESEARCHERS ALSO USE THIS METHOD TO MEASURE THE ACTIVITY OF ONE'S BRAIN AFTER PERFORMING A CERTAIN BEHAVIOR OR A SERIES OF ACTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, A RESEARCHER MIGHT WANT TO KNOW WHAT PART OF THE BRAIN IS MOST ACTIVE AFTER SATISFYING A FOOD CRAVING.

[ricnyc]

Glucose (sugar) is attracted to the tumor. The tumor likes it and uses it to grow.
Isn't interesting that the doctors don't tell people to avoid sugar?

[saidbingol]

thnx, I have two questions:
why can't we see solid tumors in PET scanning?
what are the cells that act like cancer cells in PET scanning ?

[godschild]

What 💚are there’d 💚dots on my. PET SCAN 💚