Automated quantification with BRASS reduces equivocal reporting of DaTSCAN (123I-FP-CIT) SPECT studies

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiopharmacology

Background:

• ¹²³I-FP-CIT (DaTSCAN) SPECT imaging assesses the nigrostriatal pathway for movement disorder diagnosis.
• Equivocal DaTSCAN reports present diagnostic challenges and potential adverse outcomes.
• Investigating quantification methods to improve DaTSCAN report clarity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if quantifying striatal tracer uptake in DaTSCAN studies can reduce the incidence of equivocal reports.
• To determine the impact of quantification on the accuracy of DaTSCAN scan interpretations.

Main Methods:

• BRASS software was used for quantitative analysis of striatal tracer uptake in DaTSCAN SPECT studies.
• Numerical thresholds were established to differentiate normal from abnormal scans.
• DaTSCAN scans were re-reported with and without quantitative data for comparison.

Main Results:

• Quantitative analysis significantly decreased the number of equivocal DaTSCAN reports.
• Reporting accuracy remained comparable between quantitative and non-quantitative reporting methods.

Conclusions:

• Automated quantification of DaTSCAN studies using BRASS software and defined numerical limits effectively reduces equivocal reports.
• This quantitative approach enhances diagnostic confidence in movement disorder assessment without sacrificing accuracy.