Brightening Up Brain Injuries: Design, Synthesis and Characterization of a PET Diagnostic Agent for Neuronal Trauma

Concussions are an increasingly significant issue today, however, there is still no single standard, objective criterion for diagnosing them. An objective test with high sensitivity and specificity for concussions would provide a substantial advance in concussion diagnostics, which can help in the prognosis, treatment, and medical decision-making regarding the disorder. This research looks to fill the void in concussion diagnostic techniques by synthesizing a specifically designed, small molecule [18] F-radiotracer capable of binding to a biomarker of neuronal trauma, thus allowing for the imaging of its upregulation using a PET scanner.