Functional brain (99m)Tc-HMPAO single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a useful diagnostic tool for assessment of regional cerebral blood flow, particularly in dementia, cerebrovascular disease and epilepsy. Currently, the European and American Association of Nuclear Medicine Procedure Guidelines for Brain Perfusion SPET using (99m)Tc-labeled Radiopharmaceuticals recommend a time delay of 90 min between injection of (99m)Tc-HMPAO and data acquisition. This time delay is difficult to comply within the daily routine and present a problem, particularly with the elderly or demented patients. This study investigates in patients with perfusion deficits and in healthy subjects if the quality of the SPECT image is affected by lowering the time delay between (99m)Tc-HMPAO injection and data acquisition to 30 or 60 min.