It’s a radiology test that includes a simple injection of a radioactive material that can be picked up by a PET scanner to detect cancer, brain issues (such as an MRI scan for Alzheimer’s) and heart disease. The test is combined with single-photon emission computed tomography which provide images of brain activity based on blood flow or oxygen consumption.

The scan is simple and reported as painless, you can still drive afterward and the material is flushed out of the system naturally within 1-3 days, depending on how much water you drink.