Reproducibility of cerebral blood flow assessment using a quantitative SPECT reconstruction program and split-dose...

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is used widely in clinical studies. However, the technique requires image reconstruction and the methods for correcting scattered radiation and absorption are not standardized among SPECT procedures. Therefore, quantitation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) may not be constant across SPECT models. The quantitative SPECT (QSPECT) software package has been developed for standardization of CBF. Using the QSPECT/dual-table autoradiographic (DTARG) method, CBF and cerebral vascular reactivity (CVR) at rest and after acetazolamide challenge can be evaluated using (123)I-iodoamphetamine in a single SPECT session. In this study, we examined the reproducibility of quantitative regional CBF and CVR in QSPECT/DTARG using different SPECT models at two facilities. The subjects were nine patients with chronic cerebral ischemic disease who underwent QSPECT/DTARG at both facilities with use of different γ-cameras and collimators. There were significant correlations for CBF at rest and after acetazolamide challenge measured at the two facilities. The consistency of the CBFs of the patients measured at the two facilities were good in all cases. Our results show that CBF measured by QSPECT/DTARG in the same patients is reproducible in different SPECT models. This indicates that standardized evaluation of CBF can be performed in large multicenter studies.