A novel, fully automated, observer-independent program for semiquantifying striatal ¹²³I-FP-CIT uptake

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiopharmaceutical Imaging
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Striatal dopamine transporter imaging with (123)I-FP-CIT SPECT is crucial for diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders.
• Accurate semiquantification of radiotracer uptake is essential for reliable diagnostic interpretation.
• Current methods may involve manual delineation and are susceptible to observer variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel, fully automated program for semiquantifying striatal (123)I-FP-CIT uptake.
• To assess the program's accuracy using volumes of interest (VOI) analysis.
• To establish an observer-independent method for quantitative analysis.

Main Methods:

• An automated algorithm was developed using a template derived from WFU PickAtlas anatomical VOIs.
• SPECT studies of an anthropomorphic phantom with known concentrations were acquired for validation.
• Spatial normalization, VOI projection, partial volume effect correction (voxel thresholding), and non-specific uptake quantification were performed.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in experimental binding potential (BP) values were observed based on the percentage of voxels used (p<0.002).
• A highly significant correlation was found between true and experimental BP values.
• The automated program demonstrated reliable performance across different quantification thresholds.

Conclusions:

• The developed program offers a novel, fully automated solution for semiquantifying striatal (123)I-FP-CIT uptake.
• This observer-independent approach enhances the reliability and reproducibility of quantitative SPECT analysis.
• The validated program is suitable for experimental studies requiring accurate assessment of striatal dopaminergic function.