Detecting changes in serial myocardial perfusion SPECT: A simulation study

BACKGROUND: New algorithms were evaluated for their efficacy in detecting and quantifying serial changes in myocardial perfusion from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated 72 simulations with various left ventricular positions, sizes, count rates, and perfusion defect severities using the nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBs)-based CArdiac Torso (NCAT) phantom. Images were automatically aligned by use of both full linear and rigid transformations and quantified for perfusion by use of the CEqual program. Changes within a given perfusion defect were compared by use of a Student t test before and after registration. Registration approaches were compared by use of receiver operating characteristic analysis. Changes of 5% were not detected well in single patients with or without alignment. Changes of 10% and 15% could be detected with false-positive rates of 15% and 10%, respectively, in single studies if alignment was performed before perfusion analysis. Alignment also reduced the number of studies necessary to demonstrate a significant perfusion change (P < .05) in groups of patients by about half. CONCLUSION: Comparison of mean uptake by t values in SPECT perfusion defects can be used to detect 10% and greater differences in serial perfusion studies of single patients. Image alignment is necessary to optimize automatic detection of perfusion changes in both single patients and groups of patients.     

1H MRS与eADC值在急性脑梗死中的研究

目的:单体素氢质子磁共振波谱与扩散加权成像的指数表观弥散系数相结合分析急性脑梗死的脑内主要代谢物变化特点。方法:47例临床诊断为急性脑梗死的患者(发病6h后至48h内),以指数表观弥散系数(eADC)升高区及对侧分别为感兴趣区测定1H MRS,观察脑梗死病灶内化合物含量,进一步分析急性脑梗死的主要代谢物变化特点。结果:27例急性腔隙性脑梗死患者中eADC值明显升高区氮—乙酰天冬氨酸(NAA)降低,eADC值升高在50%以上的病例中乳酸检出率增高,且有显著性差异;20例急性非腔隙性脑梗死患者中eADC值明显升高区氮-乙酰天冬氨酸(NAA)降低,eADC值升高在50%以上的病例中乳酸检出率明显增高,没有显著性差异。结论:在脑梗死中联合应用1H MRS与DWI的eADC值能无创性的评价脑梗死局部代谢和形态的动态演变过程,eADC值升高,Lac升高,NAA下降是反映缺血的敏感指标;当eADC值升高超过50%时,1H MRS所能测到Lac敏感性提高,为临床诊断治疗提供依据。     

Postsurgical cerebral perfusion changes in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a statistical parametric mapping study of SPECT images.

Our goal was to study cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes after surgery in a group of 15 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). METHODS: We used hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime SPECT and statistical parametric mapping (SPM), an image analysis method that does not require prior selection of regions of interest. RESULTS: Our study showed areas of significant increase in perfusion in specific regions of both frontal lobes and the right parietal lobe. Regions of increased perfusion were found in the left prefrontal dorsolateral areas (Brodmann's areas 9 and 45 or 47), right frontal premotor area (Brodmann's area 44), right medial prefrontal region (Brodmann's area 10 or 32), right frontal white matter area (superior longitudinalis fasciculus), and right basal ganglia (lenticular nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus). In the right hemisphere, another region of increased perfusion was found in the inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann's area 40). The 2 areas most related to clinical improvement were Brodmann's area 32 and the frontal part of the left lobule of Reil insula. CONCLUSION: The results obtained with the SPM method of image analysis confirm and expand on previous CBF literature in NPH, with specific CBF regions located in frontal and parietal areas that improve after surgery in idiopathic NPH.     

Stress-only imaging in patients with prior SPECT MPI: A simulation study

Objectives  

The aim of this study was to determine if omitting the repeat resting scan in patients who had prior single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT MPI) would have an impact on the interpretation of the stress test.     

Neuronal impairment of adult moyamoya disease detected by quantified proton MRS and comparison with cerebral perfusion by SPECT with tc-99m HM-PAO: a trial of clinical quantification of metabolites.

We evaluated neuronal impairment of adult moyamoya patients by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and cerebral perfusion scintigraphy. After evaluating two methods for compensating relaxation times, we selected a long TR, short TE sequence to achieve better reproducibility. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) value was measured by scintigraphy following the method of quantification reported in the previous literature. N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) concentrations and CBFs value were decreased statistically (P < 0. 05) compared with those of the age-matched normal controls. However, the decreased rate of NAA concentration was changed more than the CBF value, and no linear correlation was found between the two values. We considered that the NAA concentration was not always correlated with that of the present cerebral perfusion. The NAA concentration showed a more dispersive distribution in patients than in controls, indicating a large individual variation in neuronal impairment. We concluded that proton MRS may provide useful information about neuronal impairment in individual patients. J. Magn. Reson Imaging 1999;10:124-129.     

Changes in dorsolateral prefrontal connectivity after rTMS in treatment-resistant depression: a brain perfusion SPECT study

Purpose

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive and safe alternative to electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). After rTMS, changes in brain SPECT perfusion have been remotely identified within medial temporal limbic areas, while no local effects have been found within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)—i.e. under the coil. Functional changes in connectivity may underlie these remote effects. Interestingly, functional connectivity has been recently investigated using perfusion SPECT, and abnormalities identified in TRD patients. The aim of the present study is to evaluate perfusion and connectivity SPECT changes in TRD patients after rTMS of the left DLPFC. We hypothesize that changes in DLPFC networks may explain remote hypoperfusions found after rTMS.

Methods

Fifty-eight TRD patients underwent a brain SPECT before and after high-frequency rTMS of the left DLPFC. Whole-brain voxel-based changes in perfusion were evaluated with SPM8, and inter-regional correlation analysis performed to study left DLPFC functional connectivity (p?<?0.005, corrected for cluster volume).

Results

After rTMS, patients were significantly improved on Beck Depression Inventory score (p?<?0.0001). Considering a 50% reduction threshold, 27 patients were identified as responders (47%). After rTMS, perfusion changes were not found locally within the left DLPFC, but remotely within the bilateral temporal lobes, including limbic areas. Inter-regional correlation SPECT analysis brings out a decrease of connectivity between the left DLPFC and both the cingulate/medial frontal cortex and bilateral medial temporal limbic areas, in relation with the clinical response.

Conclusions

rTMS of DLPFC in TRD patients leads to remote temporal hypoperfusions in relation with changes in functional connectivity between the DLPFC and the default mode network, especially including medial temporal limbic areas.

     

Observed BOLD effects on cerebral metabolite resonances in human visual cortex during visual stimulation: a functional (1)H MRS study at 4 T.

Using the localized spin-echo (1)H MRS technique, the water resonance and methyl resonance peaks of the cerebral metabolites N-acetylaspartate (NAA at 2.0 ppm) and phosphocreatine/creatine (Cr at 3.0 ppm) were studied in the human visual cortex to detect and quantify the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) effect during visual stimulation at 4 T. Significant BOLD effects, which reflect the increases of spectral peak height (H) accompanied by the decreases of spectral linewidth (Deltaupsilon(1/2)), were observed in NAA (H: 2.5%; Deltaupsilon(1/2): -1.7%) and Cr (H: 3.1%; Deltaupsilon(1/2): -1.8%) as well as in water (H: 3.1%; Deltaupsilon(1/2): -2.3%). Because NAA and Cr mainly exist in the brain cells, the BOLD effects on these cerebral metabolite resonances only measure the susceptibility component spreading into the extravascular cellular compartment. In contrast, water is affected in the intra- and the extravascular compartments. Therefore, the water signal measures the BOLD effects in both compartments. BOLD responses in water were similar to those observed in metabolites. The similarity indicates that the susceptibility spreading into the extravascular parenchyma contributed significantly to the observed BOLD effects at 4 T. Finally, taking advantage of the higher NMR sensitivity at 4 T, the feasibility of measuring BOLD effects on cerebral metabolites by localized (1)H MRS is demonstrated.     

A multi-center 1H MRS study of the AIDS dementia complex: validation and preliminary analysis

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the technical feasibility and reliability of a multi-center study characterizing regional levels of the brain metabolite ratios choline (Cho)/creatine (Cr) and myoinositol (MI)/Cr, markers of glial cell activity, and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Cr, a marker of mature neurons, in subjects with AIDS dementia complex (ADC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using an automated protocol (GE PROBE-P), short echo time spectra (TE = 35 msec) were obtained at eight sites from uniformly prepared phantoms and from three brain regions (frontal white matter, basal ganglia, and parietal cortex) of normal volunteers and ADC and HIV-negative subjects. RESULTS: A random-effects model of the phantom and volunteer data showed no significant inter-site differences. Feasibility of a multi-center study was further validated by detection of significant differences between the metabolite ratios of ADC subjects and HIV-negative controls. ADC subjects exhibited significantly higher Cho/Cr and MI/Cr in the basal ganglia and significantly reduced NAA/Cr and significantly higher MI/Cr in the frontal white matter. These results are consistent with the predominantly subcortical distribution of the pathologic abnormalities associated with ADC. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to ascertain and validate the reliability and reproducibility of a short echo time (1)H-MRS acquisition sequence from multiple brain regions in a multi-center setting. It should now be possible to examine the regional effects of HIV infection in the brain in a large number of subjects and to study the metabolic effects of new therapies for the treatment of ADC in a clinical trial setting.     

The measurement of cerebral perfusion and hemodynamic reserve using SPECT: use in cerebral vascular pathology

The isolated measurement of cerebral blood flow can lead to gross errors in vascular disease, particularly ischaemic disease, because of disruption of the relations between blood flow and metabolism. In contrast, the measurement of cerebral blood flow combined with measurement of the haemodynamic reserve overcomes these difficulties, regardless of the method of evaluation: reactivity to CO2 or to acetazolamide; measurement of the flow/volume ratio. The author demonstrates that these measurements are even more valuable in situations in which morphological examinations (MRI or computed tomography) are of little value: transient ischaemic attacks, asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, etc. However, these measurements are useful in constituted infarctions or in vasospasm to assess the distant effects or to guide the therapeutic adjustment or even to provide prognostic elements. Combined measurement of perfusion and haemodynamic reserve, although it does not constitute a formal proof, is now largely accessible by means of non-specialized gamma cameras with determination of the flow/volume ratio.     

~1H磁共振波谱在胶质瘤放疗后复发和放射性脑坏死鉴别中的初步应用

目的　探讨质子磁共振波谱 (1HMRS)对胶质瘤放疗后复发和放射性脑坏死鉴别诊断的价值。方法　 15例有脑部放疗史 ,临床及CT、MRI难以判断为肿瘤复发或放射性脑坏死的患者 ,5例病史明确的放射性脑坏死的患者 ,均行1HMRS检查。结果　前 15例经手术证实 ,14例为胶质瘤 ,1例放射性脑坏死 ,1HMRS诊断正确。 (1) 14例胶质瘤在1HMRS上均表现为明显增高的胆碱(Cho)峰 ,氮乙酰门冬氨酸 (NAA)、肌酸 (Cr)峰下降或消失 ,Cho/Cr比值升高 ,NAA/Cr比值降低 ;12例出现乳酸 (Lac)峰。 (2 )放射性脑坏死表现为 :5例Cho、NAA、Cr下降或消失 ,出现脂质 (Lipid)峰 ;1例Cho、NAA、Cr峰均消失 ,仅表现一较平坦的曲线 ,无Lac峰。结论　1HMRS对胶质瘤放疗后复发和放射性脑坏死的鉴别有重要价值。     

Diastolic dysfunction in patients with systemic sclerosis detected by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT: an early sign of cardiac involvement.

Diagnosis of cardiac involvement is important for the management of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This study was undertaken to determine the significance of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients with SSc and whether diastolic function measured by gated SPECT is an early sign of cardiac complications. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with SSc and 16 control patients were studied using exercise nongated and resting gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. The SSc was classified by the modified Rodnan total skin score (TSS) into high-TSS (score > or = 10; n = 18) and low-TSS (score < 10; n = 16) groups. Gated SPECT was performed using 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile with 16 frames per cardiac cycle and quantitatively analyzed by QGS software and Fourier filtering of the volume curve. The parameters of ejection fraction (EF), peak filling rate (PFR), one-third mean filling rate, and time to PFR (TPFR) were calculated. RESULTS: A slight perfusion abnormality was observed in four and five patients in the low-TSS and high-TSS groups, respectively (not statistically significant). A decreased resting EF less than 55% was found in no and two patients in the low-TSS and high-TSS groups, respectively. TPFR was 166 +/- 22, 168 +/- 38, and 216 +/- 82 ms (P = 0.05, high-TSS group versus low-TSS group; P = 0.04, control group versus high-TSS group) and TPFR/R-R interval was 0.18 +/- 0.02, 0.19 +/- 0.04, and 0.26 +/- 0.09 (P = 0.01, high-TSS group versus low-TSS group; P = 0.005, control group versus high-TSS group) for the control, low-TSS, and high-TSS groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Diastolic function can be evaluated by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. Significant diastolic abnormalities were shown even in patients with normal perfusion and systolic function and were related to the severity of SSc.     

Administration and (1)H MRS detection of histidine in human brain: application to in vivo pH measurement.

Measurement of histidine in vivo offers the potential for tissue pH measurement using routinely performed (1)H MR spectroscopy. In the brain, however, histidine concentrations are generally too low for reliable measurement. By using oral loading of histidine, this study demonstrates that brain concentrations can be significantly increased, enabling detection of histidine by localized (1)H MR measurements and making in vivo pH measurement possible. In studies carried out on healthy human subjects at 1.5 T, a consistent spectral quality downfield from water was achieved using a PRESS sequence at short echo times. Measurements at different TE values helped to characterize the downfield spectral region. Histidine loading of 400 mg/kg of body weight increased brain histidine levels by approximately 0.8 mM, with maximum histidine concentration reached 4 to 7 hr after consumption. The pH calculated from histidine resonances was 6.96, and a hyperventilation study demonstrated the potential for measuring altered pH.     

Hemodynamic improvement of anterior cerebral artery territory perfusion induced by bifrontal encephalo(periosteal)synangiosis in pediatric patients with moyamoya disease: a study with brain perfusion SPECT

Objective  

The reinforcement of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory perfusion is important for the future intellectual functioning of pediatric moyamoya disease (MMD) patients. To evaluate the hemodynamic improvement of the ACA territory, bifrontal encephalogaleo-(periosteal)synangiosis [EG(P)S] combined with encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) was compared with EDAS alone in pediatric MMD patients using brain perfusion SPECT.     

Neuroradiological findings in primary progressive aphasia: CT,MRI and cerebral perfusion SPECT

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is defined as progressive decline in language for 2 or more years with preservation of activities of daily living and general cognitive functions. Whereas the clinical features of this syndrome have been well documented, the neuroradiological findings have not been studied systematically. We studied 13 patients with PPA retrospectively: 10 underwent CT, 12 MRI and 12 cerebral perfusion studies using^99mTc-HMPAO SPECT. CT and MR images were scored for focal atrophy by two independent assessors. Initial qualitative assessment of SPECT images was confirmed by quantitative analysis. CT was normal in 5 patients. Focal atrophy, affecting predominantly the left temporal lobe, was seen in 4 of 10 patients on CT, and 10 of 12 on MRI. Atrophy was localised primarily to the superior and middle temporal gyri on MRI. All 12 patients who underwent SPECT had unilateral temporal lobe perfusion defects, in 2 patients of whom MRI was normal. CT is relatively insensitive to focal abnormalities in PPA; MRI and SPECT are the imaging modalities of choice. MRI allows accurate, specific localisation of atrophy within the temporal neocortex. SPECT may reveal a functional decrease in cerebral perfusion prior to establishment of structural change.     

Abnormal cerebral metabolism in polydrug abusers during early withdrawal: A 31P MR spectroscopy study

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (³¹P MRS) at 1.5 T was performed on nine polysubstance abusing men. All nine patients met DSM-III-R criteria for concurrent cocaine and heroin dependence, were neurologically normal, were negative for the human immunodeficiency virus, and had normal clinical brain MRI scans. Patients were scanned 2-7 days after admission to a drug treatment unit. Eleven age-matched control subjects also were studied. The ISIS localized phosphorus spectra were obtained from a 5-cm thick axial brain slice and a 100-cc white matter volume. In the brain slice, the phosphorus metabolite signal expressed as a percentage of total phosphorus signal was 15% higher for phosphomonoesters, 10% lower for nucleotide triphosphates (β-NTP), and 7% lower for total nucleotide phosphates in polydrug abusers compared with those in controls. Phosphodiesters, inorganic phosphate, phosphocreatine, total phosphorus, pH, and free magnesium concentration were unchanged. None of these parameters correlated with the methadone dose or the number of days abstinence. Single photon emission computed tomographic imaging of a subgroup of the patients revealed abnormal cerebral perfusion in 80% of the patients scanned. These data suggest that cerebral high energy phosphate and phospholipid metabolite changes result from long term drug abuse and/or withdrawal and that these changes can be detected and studied by ³¹P MRS.     

Prognostic value of automated vs visual analysis for adenosine stress myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients without prior coronary artery disease: A case-control study

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of automated quantitative hypoperfusion parameters derived from adenosine stress myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) for predicting sudden or cardiac death (CD) in case-controlled patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods

We considered patients with available adenosine stress Tc-99m sestamibi MPS scans and follow-up information. 81 CD patients from a registry of 428 patients documented by the National Death Index were directly matched in a retrospective case-control design to patients without CD by key clinical parameters (age by deciles, gender, no early revascularization, pre-test likelihood categories, diabetes, and chest pain symptoms). Multivariable analysis of stress MPS total perfusion deficit (STPD) and major clinical confounders were used as predictors of CD. Visual 17-segment summed stress segmental scores (VSSS) obtained by an expert reader, were compared to STPD.

Results

CD patients had higher stress hypoperfusion measures compared to controls [STPD: 7.0% vs 3.6% (P < .05), VSSS: 5.3 vs 2.1 (P < .05)]. By univariate analysis, STPD and VSSS have similar predictive power (the areas under receiver operator characteristics curves: STPD = 0.64, VSSS = 0.63; Kaplan-Meier models: χ² = 7.59, P = .0059 for STPD and χ² = 11.10, P = .0009 for VSSS). The multiple Cox proportional hazards regression models with continuous perfusion measures showed that STPD had similar power to normalized VSSS as a predictor for CD (χ² = 4.92; P = .027) vs (χ² = 8.90; P = .003).

Conclusions

Quantitative analysis is comparable to expert visual scoring in predicting CD in a case-controlled study.