The Kettering Medical Center Network leadership is committed to the development of relevant pursuits in biomedical, behavioral, and public health research. In accordance with this network policy, the PET department has been actively involved in both clinical and basic scientific research since its foundation in 1990.

Any questions about future and on-going research protocols should be directed to the Research Coordinator for the PET department at (937) 298-3399 ext. 57681.

Schizophrenia Study
An investigation of the PET radiotracer "Fallypride", a dopamine antagonist, to determine its utility in quantifying dopamine receptor densities in schizophrenics. Baseline studies in normal volunteers have been completed and a study of newly diagnosed schizophrenics who are not on any medications (drug naive) is underway.

Dopamine Transporter
The research focus of this project is to develop and characterize PET radioligands so they may be used as clinical research tools for visualizing and quantifying the dopamine transporter sites in humans with PET scanning. In particular, these tracers will be used to investigate alterations in presynaptic dopamine transporters in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.

2-DG in Brain Tumors (completed study, no longer offered)
An investigation of the efficacy of 2-Deoxyglucose as a radiomodifier in the radiation treatment (Gamma Knife) of grade III (anaplastic) and grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme) brain tumors.

Gene Expression in Brain Tumors
An investigation in collaboration with Wright State University, to study the gene expression of grade III and grade IV brain tumors. The results from this work may prove helpful in matching patients to the most efficacious therapy.

FDG and Methionine in Brain Tumors
A study utilizing the PET radiotracers FDG and Methionine for a) grading and prognosis of brain tumors, b) targetting of tumors for surgical resection and/or radiation therapy, c) differentiation of tumor recurrence from post-surgical or radiation necrosis, and d) measuring the response of brain tumors to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Image Co-registration
The current investigation is to determine the clinical value of non-linear techniques for whole body PET to CT co-registration. For the past 8 years the KMC PET department has performed linear co-registration of PET and MR/CT brain images to more accurately diagnose and biopsy tumors, and define target volumes for surgical resection and radiation therapy.

C-Choline PET Scanning
A study to determine the clinical value of the PET radiotracer 11C-Choline for diagnosing, staging and providing early detection of recurrence for brain and prostate tumors.

Flumazenil PET Scanning
An investigation evaluating the efficacy of the PET radiotracer Flumazenil in delineating the seizure focus in order to target the brain volume for surgical resection in cases of intractable epilepsy and to study the effects of seizures on brain structures remote from the epileptic foci.

Carotid Artery Occlusion Study (COSS)
A multicenter study, sponsored by the N.I.H., to determine the efficacy of EC-IC bypass to prevent future strokes in patients with unilateral carotid artery occlusion. The value of PET oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) images to predict those patients who will benefit from bypass will be determined.

FDOPA PET Scanning in Parkinson’s Study
A project to ascertain the clinical value of the PET radiotracer Flurodopa, a dopamine analog, for the initial diagnosis and management of patients suspected of having Parkinson’s disease.

PET Scanning and Colorectal Cancer Study
An investigation to determine the impact of FDG PET scan data in staging colorectal cancer prior to surgery. In a closely related study, the clinical value of intra-operative imaging with a portable CT scanner for surgical guidance will be investigated. The intra-operative CT data will be co-registered to PET data to provide image-guided navigation to lesions for rapid, accurate resection. In addition, this work will determine the ability of a positron probe to differentiate tumor from healthy tissue in colorectal surgery.

Lung Cancer Treatment with Gene Therapy (completed study, no longer offered)
A gene therapy study in which TGFb gene modified tumor cells will be used as a vaccine to stimulate the patient's immune system to fight lung cancer.

Alcohol and Brain Metabolism Study
An investigation of the impact of binge drinking on the glucose metabolism of the brains of college students utilizing FDG PET scanning.

Antidepressant drugs and Brain Metabolism Study
A study being performed in collaboration with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. This study will determine the effects on glucose metabolism in the brains of normal volunteers of newly-developed antidepressant drugs.

Schizophrenia (Fallypride)
An ambitious group of scientists and clinicians at Wallace-Kettering Neuroscience Institute (WKNI) at Kettering Medical Center and Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and the University of California at Irvine have banded together to delve into the nature of schizophrenia. The study, Evaluation of the Distribution of 18F-FDG and 18F-Fallypride Using PET in Schizophrenic and Normal Subjects, has the goal of increased understanding of brain circuitry of schizophrenia. We have engaged ill and normal control subjects alike in what we believe will be a landmark investigation into the brain the possible root causes of schizophrenia.

Using the rich variety of brain imaging resources found at WKNI and the cadre of scientists that support these technologies, we hope to reveal new information about the interaction between several areas of the brain thought to be involved in schizophrenia, including the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and thalamus.

WKNI is one of the only centers in the world able to produce a PET radioisotope known as fallypride, a dopamine receptor ligand with several advantages (superior dopamine receptor affinity and specificity) over its predecessors.

WKNI also possesses a full array of state-of-the art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research tools, including functional MRI (fMRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), able to demonstrate brain activation patterns during specific tasks or mental states, and white matter tract architecture, respectively. By obtaining this battery of imaging studies, as well as comprehensive psychiatric and neurocognitive information, on never-medicated people with schizophrenia and normal control subjects, we hope to better characterize disease-related brain abnormalities than has previously been possible.

This enthusiastic collaboration between psychiatrists (Dr. Buchsbaum and Lehrer), nuclear medicine clinicians and scientists (Drs. Mantil, Mukherjee, Christian, Satter, and Shi), MRI physicists (Drs. Ezzeddine and Adineh), and a neuropsychologist (Dr. Finton), supported by our absolutely indispensable research coordinator/assistant team (Candi Lee, R.N., and Aaron Murray, B.S.) offers a rich opportunity to create an enduring schizophrenia research effort at Kettering.

Over the next two years we expect to complete both of these studies. We anticipate that we will have enough data to receive National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) support to continue our investigations into the nature of schizophrenia, and contribute to the development of safer, more effective treatments.