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Molecular Advances in Neuroimaging
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Molecular Advances in Neuroimaging

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 4648

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chrissa Sioka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, University Campus, 4511 Ioannina, Greece
2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, 1 Stavrou Niarchou Avenue, 45500 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: neuroimaging; PET CT; SPECT CT; neuro-oncology imaging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are nuclear imaging methods, capturing molecular and cellular level changes. Concerning neuroimaging, the use of such imaging modalities may provide diagnostic and prognostic information in neuro-oncology and neurodegenerative disorders.

Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) models may be applied to molecular neuroimaging, both in PET and SPECT, providing additional information to pathophysiology and pathogenesis of disease.

We welcome research and review articles that address the following topics:

  • Molecular imaging in neurodegenerative disorders with PET-CT, PET-MRI or SPECT imaging modalities;
  • Artificial intelligence models in PET-CT, PET-MRI or SPECT imaging modalities in neurodegenerative disorders;
  • Molecular imaging in neuro-oncology with PET-CT, PET-MRI or SPECT imaging modalities;
  • Artificial intelligence models in PET-CT, PET-MRI or SPECT imaging modalities in neuro-oncology.

This Special Issue is supervised by Dr Chrissa Sioka and assisted by Dr Alexandros Giannakis (University Hospital of Ioannina).

Dr. Chrissa Sioka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • positron emission tomography pulmonary immunology
  • single photon emission computed tomography
  • artificial intelligence
  • neuro-oncology imaging
  • neurodegenerative disorders imaging
  • molecular neuroimaging

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

40 pages, 2104 KB  
Review
Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Imaging in Neuroinflammation: Methods, Challenges, and Recommendations
by Emmanuel A. Mensah, Abrar Faiyaz, Giovanni Schifitto and Md Nasir Uddin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 11059; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211059 - 15 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1535
Abstract
Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) imaging has emerged as a promising non-invasive molecular MRI technique for investigating neuroinflammation. It offers unique insights into metabolic and molecular alterations in the brain. This review presents a comprehensive overview of CEST principles, methodological developments, and translational [...] Read more.
Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) imaging has emerged as a promising non-invasive molecular MRI technique for investigating neuroinflammation. It offers unique insights into metabolic and molecular alterations in the brain. This review presents a comprehensive overview of CEST principles, methodological developments, and translational applications in neuroinflammation. It covers the basic mechanisms, pulse sequence designs, readout strategies, and various CEST contrasts used to probe molecular changes associated with inflammation. Recent advancements in fast CEST imaging, including optimized undersampling strategies and accelerated reconstruction methods are discussed. Improvements in post-processing and quantification techniques are also highlighted. The growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in CEST imaging for image reconstruction, artifact correction, and biomarker extraction, is examined. Preclinical and clinical studies show CEST’s potential to detect neuroinflammation across neurological disorders. The impact of high-field MRI on enhancing CEST sensitivity and specificity are also discussed. Despite notable progress, several challenges remain. These include sensitivity to field inhomogeneities, lack of acquisition standardization, and limited clinical validation. We outline current limitations, translational barriers, and provide recommendations for improving reproducibility, facilitating clinical adoption, and integrating AI-based approaches for robust molecular characterization. Overall, CEST imaging shows great potential as a non-invasive biomarker for neuroinflammation. It can deepen understanding of the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying neurological diseases, while addressing technical and translational challenges remains key for its broader clinical implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Neuroimaging)
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13 pages, 475 KB  
Review
The Evolving Role of FDG–PET in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: Current Applications and Future Opportunities
by Serafeim Ioannidis, Natalia Konstantinidou, Alexandros Giannakis, Chrissa Sioka and Panagiotis Ioannidis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(20), 10090; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262010090 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 2438
Abstract
The diagnosis of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD)—a common cause of early-onset dementia—remains challenging due to a lack of determined biomarkers. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG–PET) scan detects early glucose metabolism alterations in specific brain regions. The detection of distinct hypometabolic patterns in [...] Read more.
The diagnosis of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD)—a common cause of early-onset dementia—remains challenging due to a lack of determined biomarkers. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG–PET) scan detects early glucose metabolism alterations in specific brain regions. The detection of distinct hypometabolic patterns in early stages of bvFTD has established FDG–PET as an indispensable adjunctive diagnostic tool in inconclusive cases, as well as in distinguishing between different types of dementia. Moreover, its role in the differential diagnosis of the often overlapping bvFTD and primary psychiatric disorders (PPD) is being studied by exploring disease-specific hypometabolic areas. Finally, the identification of early metabolic alterations and even earlier alterations in distinct metabolic brain networks may assist the diagnosis of presymptomatic carriers of disease-related gene mutations and lead to the development of novel biomarkers. The aim of our review is to underscore the role of FDG–PET as an approved yet promising tool that may lead to a new era in the diagnosis of bvFTD by establishing novel biomarkers and integrating AI as an assistant modality to inform diagnosis and decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Advances in Neuroimaging)
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