The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 07, 1999
Bruce G. Jenkins, Belmont, MA (US);
Joe B. Mandeville, Somerville, MA (US);
Friedrich M. Cavagna, Scanzorosciate, IT;
Bracco S.p.A., Milan, IT;
Abstract
A method for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of changes in neurotransmitter and neuroreceptor activity as a metabolic response to diagnostic challenge or therapeutic treatment in a patient with suspected or already diagnosed mental illnesses of psychiatric, neurodegnerative or neurological nature, by (a) administering to a patient a drug eliciting an MRI detectable hemodynamic response; (b) administering to the patient an MRI contrast agent with high magnetic susceptibility, and then (c) measuring, in a spatially and temporally resolved manner, relative Cerebral Blood Volume (rCBV) changes associated to neuronal activation using T,- or T,*-weighted MRI scans at the equilibrium distribution of said contrast agent.