Neuroimaging with positron emission tomography (PET) is the most powerful tool for understanding pharmacology, neurochemistry, and pathology in the living human brain. This technology combines high-resolution scanners to measure radioactivity throughout the human body with specific, targeted radioactive molecules, which allow measurements of a myriad of biological processes in vivo. While PET brain imaging has been active for almost 40 years, the pace of development for neuroimaging tools, known as radiotracers, and for quantitative analytical techniques has increased dramatically over the past decade. Accordingly, the fundamental questions that can be addressed with PET have expanded in basic neurobiology, psychiatry, neurology, and related therapeutic development. In this review, we introduce the field of human PET neuroimaging, some of its conceptual underpinnings, and motivating questions. We highlight some of the more recent advances in radiotracer development, quantitative modeling, and applications of PET to the study of the human brain.

中文翻译：

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人类正电子发射断层扫描神经成像。

带正电子发射断层扫描（PET）的神经成像是了解人的活脑中药理学，神经化学和病理学的最强大工具。这项技术将高分辨率扫描仪与特定的靶向放射性分子结合起来，以测量整个人体的放射性，从而可以测量体内无数的生物过程。尽管PET脑成像已经活跃了近40年，但在过去的十年中，被称为放射性示踪剂的神经成像工具和定量分析技术的发展速度已大大提高。因此，PET可以解决的基本问题已经扩展到基本的神经生物学，精神病学，神经病学和相关的治疗方法。在这篇综述中，我们介绍了人类PET神经影像学的领域，它的一些概念基础和激励问题。我们重点介绍了放射性示踪剂开发，定量建模以及PET在人脑研究中的应用方面的一些最新进展。