[18F]flumazenil

[18F]flumazenil is a radiolabeled analog of flumazenil used as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent. It specifically binds to the benzodiazepine site of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA_A) receptor in the brain. The compound is labeled with fluorine-18 (^18F), which provides a longer half-life than carbon-11-labeled flumazenil and allows for broader clinical use. Its primary application is in neuroimaging to assess GABA_A receptor distribution and density, particularly for localizing epileptogenic zones in drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy and evaluating cortical damage in conditions such as stroke, alcoholism, and Alzheimer’s disease[2][3][4][6][9]. Unlike therapeutic flumazenil (used as an antidote for benzodiazepine overdose), [18F]flumazenil serves exclusively as a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical.

Other names

18F-flumazenilfluorine-18 flumazenilfluorine18 flumazenilfluorine 18 flumazenilFMZ PET tracer