Nuclear Medicine

NeuroPET Training

UCLA Clinical NeuroPET Preceptorship

Introduction:
Directed by Dan Silverman, MD, PhD, this two-day course familiarizes Nuclear Medicine physicians, radiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, primary care physicians, technologists, and affiliated healthcare professionals with the current state of brain PET and its application to the diagnosis of neurosurgical/neurologic and psychiatric disease. The program focuses on clinically established uses of brain PET: in particular, the role of PET in evaluation of cognitive impairment, epilepsy, brain tumors, Parkinsonian symptoms, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Additionally, technical aspects and quantification issues unique to brain PET are explored and approaches that allow identification of early neurologic disease are examined. Formal didactic lectures are supplemented by structured review of clinical cases and independent review of case files. Participants will gain an understanding of the basic aspects of PET methodology, clinical applications of PET, how such uses compare with similar information acquired through SPECT brain imaging, and how these approaches can contribute to overall patient management.

Learning Objective:
Upon completing this course, participants should be able to:

  • Understand the fundamentals of brain function and PET and how they apply to obtaining dedicated images of the brain.
  • Describe principles of acquisition and interpretation of brain PET scans, and identify patterns of normal variation.
  • Appreciate the clinical role of PET in evaluating patients for cognitive impairment, epilepsy, brain tumors, Parkinsonian symptoms, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
  • Discuss future applications of brain PET.

Location:
Ahmanson Biological Imaging Clinic
UCLA Nuclear Medicine
200 Peter Morton Medical Plaza, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
UCLA Campus map

Contact:
Amber Hain, Course Coordinator
[email protected]
(310) 825-4829

Course Faculty:
Dan Silverman, M.D., Ph.D.

Daily Schedule:
Click here to download and print the daily schedule