Current human brain imaging methods are limited by not allowing both natural upright motion and deep brain coverage. This study tests the feasibility of an upright, motion-compatible brain imager, the Ambulatory Motion-enabling Positron Emission Tomography (AMPET) helmet system, for neuroimaging studies of human walking. Eleven participants performed a walking-in-place task with simultaneous AMPET imaging after receiving a bolus of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose. Results validated predetermined criteria, including brain alignment artifact <2 mm and functional neuroimaging outcomes consistent with existing walking movement literature. The study extends the potential of mobile, upright, and motion-tolerant neuroimaging devices in real-world paradigms.

Nanda K. Siva, Christopher Bauer, Colson Glover, Alexander Stolin, Sonia Chandi, Helen Melnick, Gary Marano, Benjamin Parker, MaryBeth Mandich, James W. Lewis, Jinyi Qi, Si Gao, Kaylee Nott, Stan Majewski, Julie A. Brefczynski-Lewis