ABSTRACT
The positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique that can be used to measure local chemical functions in various body organs. This technique resembles computed tomography (CT) in its use of reconstruction algorithms to produce an image, but unlike CT, the source of radiation is in the form of an administered chemical compound labeled with a positron emitting isotope, rather than an external X-ray beam. Studies of local cerebral glucose metabolism in infants and children using PET have provided important information on human brain functional development. The basic knowledge of metabolic maturation in the human brain serves as a basis for comparisons with children exposed to substances of abuse in utero in order to assess developmental abnormalities resulting from exposure. In a pilot study, the authors have performed PET studies of cerebral glucose metabolism in 6 children with a history of drug exposure in utero.
