Verification of the effect of data-driven brain motion correction on PET imaging

Brain positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans are useful for identifying the cause of dementia by evaluating glucose metabolism in the brain with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose or Aβ deposition with F-18-florbetaben. However, since imaging time ranges from 10 to 30 minutes, movements during the examination might result in image artifacts, which interfere with diagnosis. To solve this problem, data-driven brain motion correction (DDBMC) techniques are capable of performing motion corrected reconstruction using highly accurate motion estimates with high temporal resolution. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of DDBMC techniques on PET/CT images using a Hoffman phantom, involving continuous rotational and tilting motion, each expanded up to approximately 20 degrees.

Listmode imaging was performed using a Hoffman phantom that reproduced rotational and tilting motions of the head. Brain motion correction processing was performed on the obtained data. Reconstructed images with and without brain motion correction processing were compared. Visual evaluations by a nuclear medicine specialist and quantitative parameters of images with correction and reference still images were compared.

Normalized Mean Squared Error (NMSE) results demonstrated the effectiveness of DDBMC in compensating for rotational and tilting motions during PET imaging. In Cases 1 and 2 involving rotational motion, NMSE decreased from 0.15-0.2 to approximately 0.01 with DDBMC, indicating a substantial reduction in differences from the reference image across various brain regions. In the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), DDBMC improved it to above 0.96 Contrast assessment revealed notable improvements with DDBMC. In continuous rotational motion, % contrast increased from 42.4% to 73.5%, In tilting motion, % contrast increased from 52.3% to 64.5%, eliminating significant differences from the static reference image. These findings underscore the efficacy of DDBMC in enhancing image contrast and minimizing motion induced variations across different motion scenarios.

DDBMC processing can effectively compensate for continuous rotational and tilting motion of the head during PET, with motion angles of approximately 20 degrees. However, a significant limitation of this study is the exclusive validation of the proposed method using a Hoffman phantom; its applicability to the human brain has not been investigated. Further research involving human subjects is necessary to assess the generalizability and reliability of the presented motion correction technique in real clinical scenarios.