title: Methods for improving quantitation of putamen uptake constant of FDOPA in PET studies.
abstract: To estimate the striatal uptake constant of [18F]-L-6-fluorodopa (FDOPA) in humans, we studied two methods that can account for the image resolution and the background level of FDOPA. These two methods utilize information obtained from multiple ROIs varying in size around the putamen and from profiles crossing the middle of the putamen. The estimation of the uptake constant was based on a model of one-dimensional activity variation. Simulated data were used to evaluate the adequacy of these two methods. Parametric images of FDOPA uptake constants were generated using Patlak analysis for five studies in normals and were then analyzed with the two methods. Results from the simulated data indicated a good agreement between the estimated values and the true simulated values. Results from studies in normals show stable estimates of the FDOPA uptake constant that are not affected by image resolution. The two methods were not sensitive to the misplacement of ROIs and profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, UCLA School of Medicine 90024.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Grafton
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Melega
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Barrio
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mazziotta
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Phelps
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008961:Models, Structural; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine