In vivo validation of reconstruction-based resolution recovery for human brain studies.
The aim of this study was to validate in vivo the accuracy of a reconstruction-based partial volume correction (PVC), which takes into account the point spread function of the imaging system. The NEMA NU2 Image Quality phantom and five healthy volunteers (using [(11)C]flumazenil) were scanned on both HR+ and high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT) scanners. HR+ data were reconstructed using normalization and attenuation-weighted ordered subsets expectation maximization (NAW-OSEM) and a PVC algorithm (PVC-NAW-OSEM). HRRT data were reconstructed using 3D ordinary Poisson OSEM (OP-OSEM) and a PVC algorithm (PVC-OP-OSEM). For clinical studies, parametric volume of distribution (V(T)) images were generated. For phantom data, good recovery was found for both OP-OSEM (0.84 to 0.97) and PVC-OP-OSEM (0.91 to 0.98) HRRT reconstructions. In addition, for the HR+, good recovery was found for PVC-NAW-OSEM (0.84 to 0.94), corresponding well with OP-OSEM. Finally, for clinical data, good correspondence was found between PVC-NAW-OSEM and OP-OSEM-derived V(T) values (slope: 1.02+/-0.08). This study showed that HR+ image resolution using PVC-NAW-OSEM was comparable to that of the HRRT scanner. As the HRRT has a higher intrinsic resolution, this agreement validates reconstruction-based PVC as a means of improving the spatial resolution of the HR+ scanner and thereby improving the quantitative accuracy of positron emission tomography.
Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.mourik@vumc.nl
Jurgen E M
JE
Mourik
Mark
M
Lubberink
Floris H P
FH
van Velden
Reina W
RW
Kloet
Bart N M
BN
van Berckel
Adriaan A
AA
Lammertsma
Ronald
R
Boellaard
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005442:Flumazenil; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005442:Flumazenil