Cerebral dynamics of N-isopropyl-(123I)p-iodoamphetamine.

Temporal changes in the distribution of N-isopropyl-(123I)p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) within the brain are measured with serial tomographic imaging. In the cerebellum there is a decrease in activity of 42% from the early [15-45 min postinjection (p.i.)] to the late (210-240 min p.i.) scan, while in the cortex the decrease is 18%, and in the basal ganglia there is no decrease within this time. In brain tumors there was no IMP uptake in the early as well as in the late scans, regardless of tumor type, perfusion rate, or blood-brain barrier dysfunction. In 11 of 43 patients with a cerebral infarction a real increase of 123I activity (mean +21%) was seen in the late images. This "filling in" phenomena might be useful in selecting patients for bypass surgery. In these patients the diaschisis cerebelli, seen in the early scans, disappeared in the late images. The regional distribution of IMP changes with time; spatial ratios might be blurred by temporal changes. High-flow areas such as visio-auditory centers can be delineated clearly after stimulation in fast early scans; in these areas the pharmacokinetics of 123I are different from other cortex regions. To get the full information from the IMP brain uptake, both spatial and temporal variation must be measured.