title: Characterization of attenuation and respiratory motion artifacts and their influence on SPECT MP image evaluation using a dynamic phantom assembly with variable cardiac defects.
abstract: A phantom assembly that simulates the respiratory motion of the heart was used to investigate artifacts and their impact on defect detection.
  
  
  
  SPECT/CT images were acquired for phantoms with and without small and large cardiac defects during normal and deep breathing, and also at four static respiratory phases. Acquisitions were reconstructed with and without AC, and with misalignment of transmission and emission scans. A quantitative analysis was performed to assess artifacts. Two physicians reported on defect presence or absence and their results were evaluated.
  
  
  
  All large defects were correctly reported. Attenuation reduced uptake in the basal LV walls, increasing FN physicians' reports for small defects. Respiratory motion reduced uptake mainly in the anterior and inferior walls increasing FP and FN reports on images without and with small defects, respectively. Artifacts due to misalignment between CT and SPECT scans in normal breathing phantoms did not influence the physicians' reports.
  
  
  
  Attenuation and respiratory motion correction should be applied to reduce artifacts before reporting on small defects in deep breathing conditions. Artifacts due to misalignment between CT and SPECT scans do not affect defect detection in normal breathing when the LV is co-registered in SPECT and CT images prior to AC.
authors: Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus. isabelle.chrysanthou@gmail.com.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Chrysanthou-Baustert
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.|Department of Health Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Polycarpou
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Limassol General Hospital, Limassol, Cyprus.
authors: Ourania
authors: O
authors: Demetriadou
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.|Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors: Lefteris
authors: L
authors: Livieratos
authors: Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Antonis
authors: A
authors: Lontos
authors: Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Antonis
authors: A
authors: Antoniou
authors: Department of Medical Physics, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Stelios
authors: S
authors: Christofides
authors: Department of Medical Physics, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Charalambos
authors: C
authors: Yiannakkaras
authors: Department of Medical Physics, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Demetris
authors: D
authors: Kaolis
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Christoforos
authors: C
authors: Panagidis
authors: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: Paul K
authors: PK
authors: Marsden
authors: Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus. yparpottas@frederick.ac.cy.|General Department (Physics-Mathematics), Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus. yparpottas@frederick.ac.cy.
authors: Yiannis
authors: Y
authors: Parpottas
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D009038:Motion; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
keywords: Attenuation and respiratory motion artifacts; Cardiac defects; Cardiac motion due to respiration; SPECT/CT MPI