How the Test is Performed

A PET scan requires a small amount of radioactive material (tracer). This tracer is given through a vein (IV), usually on the inside of your elbow. Or you may breathe in the radioactive material as a gas.

The tracer travels through your blood and collects in organs and tissues. The tracer helps the radiologist see certain areas or diseases more clearly.

You will need to wait nearby as the tracer is absorbed by your body. This usually takes about 1 hour.

Then, you will lie on a narrow table, which slides into a large tunnel-shaped scanner. The PET scanner detects signals from the tracer. A computer changes the results into 3-D pictures. The images are displayed on a monitor for your doctor to read.

You must lie still during test so that the machine can produce clear images of your brain. You may be asked to read or name letters if your memory is being tested.

The test takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

How to Prepare for the Test

You may be asked not to eat anything for 4 - 6 hours before the scan. You will be able to drink water.

Tell your health care provider if:

• You are afraid of close spaces (have claustrophobia). You may be given a medicine to help you feel sleepy and less anxious.
• You are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
• You have any allergies to injected dye (contrast).
• You have take insulin for diabetes. You will need special preparation.

Always tell your health care provider about the medicines you are taking, including those bought without a prescription. Sometimes, medications may interfere with the test results.

How the Test Will Feel

You may feel a sharp sting when the needle containing the tracer is placed into your vein.

A PET scan causes no pain. The table may be hard or cold, but you can request a blanket or pillow.

An intercom in the room allows you to speak to someone at any time.

There is no recovery time, unless you were given a medicine to relax.

Why the Test is Performed

A PET scan can reveal the size, shape, and function of the brain, so your doctor can make sure it is working as well as it should. It is most often used when other tests, such as MRI scan or CT scan, do not provide enough information.

This test can be used to:

• Diagnose cancer
• Prepare for epilepsy surgery
• Help diagnose dementia if other tests and exams do not provide enough information
• Tell the difference between Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders

Several PET scans may be taken to determine how well you are responding to treatment for cancer or another illness.

Normal Results

There are no problems detected in the size, shape, or function of the brain. There are no areas in which the radiotracer has abnormally collected.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Abnormal results may be due to:

• Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
• Brain tumors
• Epilepsy
• Movement disorders (such as Parkinson’s disease)

Risks

The amount of radiation used in a PET scan is low. It is about the same amount of radiation as in most CT scans. Also, the radiation doesn't last for very long in your body.

Women who are pregnant or are breastfeeding should let their doctor know before having this test. Infants and babies developing in the womb are more sensitive to the effects of radiation because their organs are still growing.

It is possible, although very unlikely, to have an allergic reaction to the radioactive substance. Some people have pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site.

Considerations

It is possible to have false results on a PET scan. Blood sugar or insulin levels may affect the test results in people with diabetes.

Most PET scans are now performed along with a CT scan. This combination scan is called a PET/CT.

Alternative Names

Brain positron emission tomography; PET scan - brain

References

Small GW, Bookheimer SY, Thompson PM, Cole GM, Hung SC, Kepe V, et al. Current and future uses of neuroimaging for cognitively impaired patients. Lancet Neurol. 2008;7:161-172.

Stoessl AJ, Alshehri AM. Neuroimaging: Functional neuroimaging. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, eds. Bradley: Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008:chap 36E.

Wahl RL. Imaging. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKenna WG. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier;2008:chap 21.

Update Date: 2/5/2012

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.