Determining effects of external stimuli on the brain using pet

• US 6,051,209 A
• Filed: 10/26/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abiant, Inc.
• Original Assignee: John T. Metz, Malcolm D. Cooper
• Inventors: Cooper, Malcolm D., Metz, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dees, Jose' G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, DAMERON LEVEST
• Application Number:
  US09/178,993
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 424/1.11, 424/9.1, 424/9.2, 424/9.4, 424/1.45, 424/1.37, 424/1.65, 424/1.69, 424/9.3, 424/1.73, 424/9.6, 568/579, 568/840, 540/1, 540/200, 546/1, 546/152, 546/184, 548/100, 548/300, 562/1, 562/40, 558/1, 560/1, 514/649, 514/651, 514/724, 514/322, 514/356
• US Class Current: 424/9.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 51/0491 Sugars, nucleosides, nucleotides, oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, e.g. DNA, RNA, nucleic acid aptamers

Abstract

A method of evaluating the effects of administering an external stimuli or treatment such as a psychoactive compound, a drug, or an environmental influence like temperature, noise, vibration, light and similar sensory-perceived influences, on a subject'"'"'s brain using imaging techniques with positron emission tomography (PET). The method measures cerebral metabolism before and after administering the external stimuli or treatment, and employs a behavioral clamp to control behavioral influences on the subject'"'"'s brain after administration of the external stimuli or treatment.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating the effects of administering an external stimuli to a subject'"'"'s brain, comprising the steps of:

controlling behavioral influences on a subject'"'"'s brain by subjecting the subject to a behavioral clamp;

measuring cerebral metabolism of the subject'"'"'s brain with positron emission tomography during the behavioral clamp and prior to any treatment with an external stimuli;

administering the external stimuli to the subject during the behavioral clamp;

measuring the cerebral metabolism of the subject'"'"'s brain with positron emission tomography after administering the external stimuli and during the behavioral clamp; and

determining any differences between cerebral metabolism prior to administering the external stimuli and cerebral metabolism after administering the external stimuli.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said external stimuli is a psychoactive compound.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound administered is a fragrance.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound administered is fluoxetine.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound administered is ethanol.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound administered is pimozide.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the compound administered is nimodipine.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said behavioral clamp comprises a visual monitoring task performed by the subject.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the step of measuring a subject'"'"'s mood both prior to and after administering the external stimuli.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of measuring a subject'"'"'s mood comprises administering a standard psychological test thereto.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said standard psychological test is a profile of mood states.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of comparing the cerebral metabolism after administering the external stimuli to a reference cerebral metabolism.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said external stimuli is a pharmaceutical drug.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said external stimuli is an environmental influence.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said environmental influence is selected from the group consisting of temperature, vibration, noise, and light.