title: Method for registering brain SPECT and MR images.
abstract: We have developed a simple method for locating functional regions of interest on successive SPECT scans obtained at different times and for locating neuroanatomical regions defined with MR on functional images obtained with SPECT. Plastic molds are made for each external auditory meatus and the glabella. A pocket is then made in each mold in which either a 57Co disk (for SPECT) or an identical disk containing CuSO4 solution (for MRI) can be placed. Transaxial tomographic slices are reconstructed with the same slice thickness in the two modalities. The SPECT software rotates both SPECT and MRI reconstructed images so that the three 57Co markers lie in one SPECT reference plane and the three CuSO4 markers lie in one MRI reference plane. Corresponding SPECT and MR images may then be displayed simultaneously to locate chosen regions of interest. The technique was validated by taping test markers to the forehead of 12 subjects; the difference between the positions of the centers of the test markers on SPECT and MR scans was within 1 SPECT acquisition pixel size.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Administration Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Service, Gainesville, FL 32608.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Honeyman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crosson
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nadeau
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D003300:Copper; D019327:Copper Sulfate; D003626:Data Display; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D012399:Rotation; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D003300:Copper; D019327:Copper Sulfate