Introduction to cardiac neuronal imaging: a clinical perspective

• Published in: Journal of Nuclear Medicine Vol. 56 Suppl 4; no. Supplement 4; pp. 3S - 6S
• Main Authors: Jacobson, Arnold F, Narula, Jagat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Nuclear Medicine 01.06.2015
• Subjects: 3-Iodobenzylguanidine; Acetylcholine - metabolism; Animals; Autonomic Nervous System - diagnostic imaging; Autonomic Nervous System - pathology; Cardiovascular system; Diagnostic Imaging - methods; Dogs; Heart - innervation; Humans; Medical imaging; Neurons; Neurons - pathology; Neurotransmitter Agents - metabolism; Norepinephrine - metabolism; Positron-Emission Tomography; Radiopharmaceuticals; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; autonomic nervous system; cardiac neuronal imaging; PET; SPECT
• ISSN: 0161-5505; 1535-5667; 2159-662X
• DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.114.150458

Procedures for noninvasive and minimally invasive imaging of cardiac neurons and neuronal function using radiolabeled compounds were developed in the second half of the 20th century. The foundation for these procedures was several centuries of research that identified the structural components of the autonomic nervous system and explored the means by which neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and norepinephrine contributed to neuronal control of target organ effector cells. This article provides a brief clinical overview of modern approaches to the assessment of cardiac neurons as an introduction to the in-depth articles on the current status of cardiac neuronal imaging presented in this supplement.