Brain Imaging Council Board Meeting
SNM Mid-Winter Meeting
Friday, January 29, 2010, 2:00-4:00pm
Albuquerque Convention Center
Albuquerque, NM
MINUTES
Members in Attendance:
Nicolaas Bohnen, MD. PhD; Karl Herholz, MD; Mark Mintun, MD (via conference call); Satoshi
Minoshima, MD, PhD; Alan Waxman, MD; Anissa Abi-Dargham, MD; David S.W. Djang, BA, MD (via
conference call); Jennifer S. Jurgens, MD, LTC, MC; Marcel Janssen, MD
Guests in Attendance:
Peter Herscovitch, MD; Richard A. Frank, MD, PhD; Mehdi Djekidel, MD
SNM Staff in Attendance:
Virginia Pappas, CEO; Jenny Mills; Hugh Cannon; Bob Milanchus; Bonnie Clark; Tina Kiss
1. Call to Order
Nico Bohnen, MD, President, called the Brain Imaging Council (BIC) Board meeting to order at
2:06pm. A quorum was present. Attendees introduced themselves around the room.
2. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
A motion was made to approve the Brain Imaging Council Board meeting minutes from June 12,
2009.
It was moved, seconded, and vote to approve the Brain Imaging Council Board meeting
minutes from June 12, 2009.
3. FDG PET Alzheimer’s
Hugh Cannon, SNM Director of Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs, introduced Richard Frank, MD,
PhD from the Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals (CORAR). Dr. Frank stated that
CORAR and AMI’s Institute for Molecular Technologies (IMT) group are looking for someone who has
or is aware of an existing bibliography of the literature on FDG PET imaging for Alzheimer's
Dementia) and/or would consider being retained to conduct a review of the literature on FDG PET
imaging for Alzheimer's and conduct a metanalysis or appraisal of the literature on FDG PET imaging
in Alzheimer's. The hope would be to submit the literature review to the FDA and request a
determination of the safety and effectiveness of PET imaging to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.
The BIC Board would essentially take an annotated bibliography and write a summarization of what is
in the peer literature. David Djang volunteered to work on this project. Dr. Minoshima suggested that
the Board look at the Duke 2001 review of FDG and AD/dementia as a starting point and extend it to
the present date. It was noted that the project would likely go to the FDA’s Peripheral and Central
Nervous System Drug Advisory Committee for approval.
ACTION: The BIC Board agreed to discuss the project and formulate a response.
4. Treasurer’s Report
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Alan Waxman, MD, BIC Treasurer, reported on the Council’s financial status. As of the November 30,
2009 financial statement, the Council’s fiscal year 2010 revenue ($9,180) minus expenses ($50)
equal current net assets of $9,130. The Council will receive a $2,000 stipend this year from SNM for
organizing an education session at the 2010 Mid-Winter meeting. The BIC FY2010 budget projects
that the Council will have a surplus of $7,566 at the end of this fiscal year (September 30), which will
be carried over into the next year’s budget.
The Board discussed ideas to spend the $7,566 surplus. Suggestions included a new resident award,
sending speakers to other meetings, a Board retreat, and hosting a BIC webinar. It was noted that
many other groups within SNM are also creating webinars. SNM leadership and staff will be
evaluating the success and structure of the webinars over the next few months.
ACTION: SNM staff will research all of the webinar activities at SNM.
5. 2010 Educational Sessions
The Council will be organizing one categorical session, three continuing education (CE) sessions,
and the annual Kuhl Lassen Award lecture at the 2010 SNM Annual Meeting. The session topics are:
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Neurochemical Imaging in 21st Century: Bench to Bedside (Categorical)
Dementia Brain PET/SPECT, (Read with the Experts)
Brain PET versus Ictal SPECT: An Incremental Diagnostic Neuroimaging Approach in
Epilepsy
How to Implement Brain Dopamine Transporter Imaging in Your Practice
6. Kuhl Lassen Award Selection
The Board discussed nominations for the 2010 Kuhl Lassen Award. The award recipient will give a
lecture during the Kuhl Lassen session at the 2010 SNM Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT.
A motion was made to approve Kirk Frey, MD as the recipient of the 2010 Kuhl Lassen Award and
speaker for the 2010 Kuhl Lassen Lecture sponsored by the Brain Imaging Council during the 2010
SNM Annual Meeting.
It was moved, seconded, and voted to approve Kirk Frey, MD as the recipient of the 2010 Kuhl
Lassen Award and speaker for the 2010 Kuhl Lassen Lecture sponsored by the Brain Imaging
Council during the 2010 SNM Annual Meeting.
7. 2010 BIC Young Investigator Awards
Board members are encouraged to attend and help grade presentations at the 2010 BIC Young
Investigator Symposium during the 2010 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. The symposium will be
moderated by Council President and Vice President. The top three presentations will be presented
Young Investigator Awards at the BIC Business Meeting.
ACTION: Dr. Minoshima will ask Julie Price to list Drs. Bohnen and Herholz as the moderators.
8. Internship Program Report
Marcel Janssen, MD, BIC Intern is focusing on four areas to improve the BIC website -- provide
information, promote use, promote research, and provide a forum for discussion. Dr. Jansen has
written a framework plan for how to design the new website.
Plans include adding resources on dementia, brain tumors, patient information, procedures
guidelines, exemplary cases, etc. Dr. Janssen requested suggestions from the BIC Board for new
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content to add to the website. It was suggested to add an online library of important literature and a
collection of educational PowerPoint presentations to the website as a BIC member benefit.
ACTION: Dr. Janssen will send the website update plans to the BIC Board via email for their review
and suggestions.
9. BIC 2010 Election Update
Jenny Mills reported that the Council will be electing a Vice President-Elect, Treasurer, and three
Board members in the 2010 BIC Board of Directors elections. The new officers and Board members
will take office in June 2010. The Board members rotating off the BIC Board in June are Anissa AbiDargham, Alan Waxman, David Djang, and Theodore Henderson. Dr. Abi-Dargham, BIC Nominating
Committee Chair, will be working with SNM staff on the election process.
10. Procedures Guidelines
Dr. Waxman reported that the SNM Procedure Guideline for FDG PET Brain Imaging is posted on the
SNM website. The guideline was reviewed and accepted for publication in the JNMT. Guidelines are
not permitted to be published in the JNM because of concern about ratings on the journal’s impact
factor. It was noted that the last time the JNM published a guideline was in 2006. The concern with
publishing the guideline in the JNMT is that nuclear medicine practitioners do not read the JNMT.
There was general discussion about submitting the guideline to another journal with the highest
impact rather than the JNMT. It was suggested that they consider the Clinical Nuclear Medicine
(CNM) Journal. Drs. Herscovitch and Minoshima serve on the CNM editorial board. There was some
concern that publishing the guideline in another journal might give the impression that the guideline is
not endorsed by the SNM. Another suggestion is to ask the JNM editorial board if they would consider
publishing the guideline(s) as a JNM supplement.
ACTION: Peter Herscovitch, MD will talk to Mike Graham, PhD, MD, SNM President regarding
publication of the SNM guidelines in the Clinical Nuclear Medicine Journal or an alternative pathway
for publication in JNM.
11. Practice Guidelines
The Board discussed creating practice guidelines. There was agreement that it would be a great
project, but a significant amount of work because they are difficult to put together. If the Board takes
on this project, they will start with one topic at a time (ie. FDG PET, Dementia). It was noted that
development of a practice guideline would require a large amount of organization support from SNM.
12. MI Outreach to Referring Physicians and Patients
This discussion was tabled until the Board has more background information.
13. Newsletter
Dr. Bohnen reported that the BIC Spring 2010 newsletter is in draft form. Dr. Janssen would like to
submit a two-page article for the newsletter.
14. Adjournment
The Brain Imaging Council Board meeting was adjourned at 4:05pm.
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