Developing a New Metabolic Imaging Approach (aMRI) for Evaluating Neurological Disease in Patients With Gliomas

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. Characterize how the metabolic aMRI parameter kᵢₒ\*V differs in tumor versus (vs) normal brain. Researchers will assess the validity of aMRI as a metabolic imaging approach via direct comparison with a standard metabolic imaging approach, ¹⁸FDG PET. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Post-gadolinium (Gd) T1 MRI will be used to distinguish the contrast-enhancing "ring" region indicating the metabolically active tumor periphery from the less viable and/or necrotic tumor core. The utility of aMRI to differentially assess the metabolically active tumor periphery and necrotic core regions will be determined and compared to that of ¹⁸FDG PET (SUVmax). II. Characterize how the metabolic aMRI parameter kᵢₒ\*V differs in the various normal appearing brain sub-regions unaffected by tumor, in comparison to ¹⁸FDG PET. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. To compare how the aMRI metabolic parameter kᵢₒ\*V within disease lesions change with different disease types, their disease stage, and their treatment status. OUTLINE: Patients receive ¹⁸FDG IV, then 60 minutes later undergo simultaneous MRI and PET scanning. During this scanning period, patients will receive gadoterate meglumine IV to obtain post-contrast MRI. Total scanning time will take 45-60 minutes.