Imaging of synaptic density now possible

Written by Alice Weatherston

A novel method for quantifying synaptic density has been developed by a team of researchers at Yale University (CT, USA). The new approach to brain imaging may help to provide further insights into the diagnosis of key neurological disorders such as epilepsy and dementia. Lead author of the study, Richard Carson (Yale University) and his colleagues initially developed a radioactive tracer with a binding affinity for the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). After injection of the tracer into both baboons and humans, they then utilized PET scanning to image the tracer within the brain and consequently to calculate synaptic density....

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