Nuclear Medicine

Topic A : In vivo measurement of stable iodine stores in the thyroid by means of X-ray fluorescence (M.H. Jonckheer ) Evaluation of the influence of stable iodine stores on the physiopathology of thyroid diseases in general and on the kinetics of radioiodine in particular. Comparison of two modalities of treatment of hypothyroidism : a) thyroxine alone, b) thyroxine with iodide. Influence of the stable iodine pool on the effective radiation dose given for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and its outcome. Topic B : Single Photon Emission Tomography of the brain (SPECT); Evaluation of new radiopharmaceuticals (A. Bossuyt) Development of 'single photon' scintigraphic techniques for the in vivo measurement of regional cerebral blood flow and receptor distribution and to evaluate the usefulness of such techniques, in patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses. In vivo measurements of 5HT2 and D2 receptor distribution with SPECT in patients with psychopathological disorders. SPECT of the regional cerebral blood flow during activation procedures in depressive patients. Topic C : Myocardial Metabolic Imaging with SPECT and its relation to Wall Motion (Ph. Franken) Development of new image processing techniques to combine myocardial perfusion, FFA metabolism and wall motion measurements using SPECT data in order to improve myocardial tissue characterization in patients with coronary artery disease and in patients with chronic right or left ventricular overload. Development of data processing procedures that provide fully spatial congruency between myocardial perfusion, FFA metabolism and wall motion using SPECT data. Free Fatty Acid Myocardial Metabolic Imaging in Hypertensive Heart Disease. Fatty Acid Myocardial Metabolic Imaging with BMIPP after thormbolysis for acute myocardial infarction. Topic D : Generation, analysis, communication and understanding of pictorial information (F. Deconinck) Development of new methods for the creation of images and pictures, for the computerized processing and analysis and for allowing the transfer of images between different centres, as well as improving access and understanding of pictorial information by blind people. Quality assurance of nuclear medicine hardware and software Development of distributed and object oriented image processing environments, including registration of 2-D and 3-D images from different acquisitions and standards for medical image management. Access to graphical computer interfaces by blind people, and production of tactile pictorial information for them. Modeling of the understanding of pictorial information through exploration. Topic E : 3-Dimensional volume reconstruction in positron emission tomography (M. Defrise) increase the sensitivity and the creation of truly 3-D volume images using positron emission cameras with retractable septa as well as the use of combined 3-Dimensional transmission and emission for absorption correction. 3-Dimensional volume reconstruction of positron emission tomographic data acquired with planar detectors. Combined 3-Dimensional transmission and emission quantitative imaging.