Simplified parametric methods for [F]FDDNP studies

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of various parametric methods for quantification of [¹⁸F]FDDNP studies. All parametric methods tested were based on the use of a reference tissue and they were compared with the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM), as previously it has been shown that SRTM is the method of choice for analysing [¹⁸F]FDDNP studies, even when an arterial plasma input function is available. The following parametric methods were evaluated: receptor parametric mapping (basis function implementation of SRTM; with and without fixing the reference tissue efflux rate constant k′₂), reference Logan and several multi-linear reference tissue methods (again with and without fixing k′₂). Simulations were used to assess the effects of variation in relative flow (R₁), fractional blood volume (V_b) and binding potential (BP_ND) on precision and accuracy of estimated BP_ND. For clinical data, best performance was obtained using receptor parametric mapping (RPM2) and one of the multi-linear reference tissue models (MRTM2), with k′₂ being fixed in both methods. These models showed good correlation with SRTM, their BP_ND results were less affected by noise and images showed good contrast. Furthermore, in simulations, RPM2 and MRTM2 provided the most accurate and precise BP_ND estimates. RPM2 and MRTM2 are the methods of choice for parametric analysis of [¹⁸F]FDDNP studies.     

Using a reference tissue model with spatial constraint to quantify [11C]Pittsburgh compound B PET for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION: Reference tissue model (RTM) is a compartmental modeling approach that uses reference tissue time activity curve (TAC) as input for quantification of ligand-receptor dynamic PET without blood sampling. There are limitations in applying the RTM for kinetic analysis of PET studies using [11C]Pittsburgh compound B ([11C]PIB). For region of interest (ROI) based kinetic modeling, the low specific binding of [11C]PIB in a target ROI can result in a high linear relationship between the output and input. This condition may result in amplification of errors in estimates using RTM. For pixel-wise quantification, due to the high noise level of pixel kinetics, the parametric images generated by RTM with conventional linear or nonlinear regression may be too noisy for use in clinical studies. METHODS: We applied RTM with parameter coupling and a simultaneous fitting method as a spatial constraint for ROI kinetic analysis. Three RTMs with parameter coupling were derived from a classical compartment model with plasma input: an RTM of 4 parameters (R(1), k'(2R), k(4), BP) (RTM4P); an RTM of 5 parameters (R(1), k(2R), NS, k(6), BP) (RTM5P); and a simplified RTM (SRTM) of 3 parameters (R(1), k'(2R), BP) (RTM3P). The parameter sets [k'(2R), k(4)], [k(2R), NS, k(6)], and k'(2R) are coupled among ROIs for RTM4P, RTM5P, and RTM3P, respectively. A linear regression with spatial constraint (LRSC) algorithm was applied to the SRTM for parametric imaging. Logan plots were used to estimate the distribution volume ratio (DVR) (=1+BP (binding potential)) in ROI and pixel levels. Ninety-minute [11C]PIB dynamic PET was performed in 28 controls and 6 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on a GE Advance scanner. ROIs of cerebellum (reference tissue) and 15 other regions were defined on coregistered MRIs. RESULTS: The coefficients of variation of DVR estimates from RTM3P obtained by the simultaneous fitting method were lower by 77-89% (in striatum, frontal, occipital, parietal, and cingulate cortex) as compared to that by conventional single ROI TAC fitting method. There were no significant differences in both TAC fitting and DVR estimates between the RTM3P and the RTM4P or RTM5P. The DVR in striatum, lateral temporal, frontal and cingulate cortex for MCI group was 25% to 38% higher compared to the control group (p < or = 0.05), even in this group of individuals with generally low PIB retention. The DVR images generated by the SRTM with LRSC algorithm had high linear correlations with those from the Logan plot (R2 = 0.99). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the RTM3P with simultaneous fitting method is shown to be a robust compartmental modeling approach that may be useful in [11C]PIB PET studies to detect early markers of Alzheimer's disease where specific ROIs have been hypothesized. In addition, the SRTM with LRSC algorithm may be useful in generating R(1) and DVR images for pixel-wise quantification of [11C]PIB dynamic PET.     

Mapping of the norepinephrine transporter in the human brain using PET with (S,S)-[18F]FMeNER-D2

We have evaluated the detailed mapping of the norepinephrine transporter (NET) in the human brain with (S,S)-[(18)F]FMeNER-D(2) using a template method and the generation of functional ROIs based on the PET information. Brain PET measurements were performed from 90 to 210 min after the injection of (S,S)-[(18)F]FMeNER-D(2) in 20 healthy male subjects. Binding potential (BP(ND)) was calculated as late time ratio of the target region to the reference region (caudate) minus one. BP(ND) template images were generated from mean parametric images obtained in a group of 10 subjects using SPM2. On the BP(ND)/MRI template images, functional ROIs based on several different BP(ND) thresholds for the thalamus and brainstem were generated automatically using PMOD 2.8 software in addition to anatomical ROIs. PET/MRI data of another group of 10 subjects were used to evaluate the validity of the template method and the functional ROIs. NET BP(ND) template images demonstrated higher binding in the medial thalamus whereas the anterior and the pulvinar divisions had lower binding. In the brainstem, high binding was detected around the cerebral aqueduct of the midbrain and within the dorsal pons, in a volume comprising locus coeruleus. Functional ROIs with higher BP(ND) thresholds naturally yielded higher BP(ND) and lower coefficients of variance than did anatomical ROIs. This study indicated that (S,S)-[(18)F]FMeNER-D(2) combined with a template method provides detailed information on the distribution of NET in vivo and that functional ROIs on the template would be useful in further clinical studies.     

SPM analysis of parametric (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding images: plasma input versus reference tissue parametric methods

(R)-[11C]PK11195 has been used for quantifying cerebral microglial activation in vivo. In previous studies, both plasma input and reference tissue methods have been used, usually in combination with a region of interest (ROI) approach. Definition of ROIs, however, can be labourious and prone to interobserver variation. In addition, results are only obtained for predefined areas and (unexpected) signals in undefined areas may be missed. On the other hand, standard pharmacokinetic models are too sensitive to noise to calculate (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Linearised versions of both plasma input and reference tissue models have been described, and these are more suitable for parametric imaging. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of these plasma input and reference tissue parametric methods on the outcome of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding. Dynamic (R)-[11C]PK11195 PET scans with arterial blood sampling were performed in 7 younger and 11 elderly healthy subjects. Parametric images of volume of distribution (Vd) and binding potential (BP) were generated using linearised versions of plasma input (Logan) and reference tissue (Reference Parametric Mapping) models. Images were compared at the group level using SPM with a two-sample t-test per voxel, both with and without proportional scaling. Parametric BP images without scaling provided the most sensitive framework for determining differences in (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding between younger and elderly subjects. Vd images could only demonstrate differences in (R)-[11C]PK11195 binding when analysed with proportional scaling due to intersubject variation in K1/k2 (blood-brain barrier transport and non-specific binding).     

Measurement of GABAA receptor binding in vivo with [11C]flumazenil: a test-retest study in healthy subjects

[(11)C]Flumazenil is widely used in positron emission tomography (PET) studies to measure GABA(A) receptors in vivo in humans. Although several different methods have been applied for the quantification of [(11)C]flumazenil binding, the reproducibility of these methods has not been previously examined. The reproducibility of a single bolus [(11)C]flumazenil measurements was studied by scanning eight healthy volunteers twice during the same day. Grey matter regions were analyzed using both regions-of-interest (ROI) and voxel-based analysis methods. Compartmental kinetic modelling using both arterial and reference region input function were applied to derive the total tissue distribution volume (V(T)) and the binding potential (BP) (BP(P) and BP(ND)) of [(11)C]flumazenil. To measure the reproducibility and reliability of each [(11)C]flumazenil binding parameter, absolute variability values (VAR) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Tissue radioactivity concentration over time was best modelled with a 2-tissue compartmental model. V(T) showed with all methods good to excellent reproducibility and reliability with low VARs (mean of all brain regions) (5.57%-6.26%) and high ICCs (mean of all brain regions) (0.83-0.88) when using conventional ROI analysis. Also voxel-based analysis methods yielded excellent reproducibility (VAR 5.75% and ICC 0.81). In contrast, the BP estimates using pons as the reference tissue yielded higher VARs (8.08%-9.08%) and lower ICCs (0.35-0.80). In conclusion, the reproducibility of [(11)C]flumazenil measurements is considerably better with outcome measures based on arterial input function than those using pons as the reference tissue. The voxel-based analysis methods are proper alternative as the reliability is preserved and analysis automated.     

Evaluation of the reference tissue models for PET and SPECT benzodiazepine binding parameters

Recently, reference tissue methods have been proposed to estimate binding potential from PET data. A reference region without specifically bound ligand is used as an indirect input function to enable the expression of the time-concentration curve of a region of interest using a compartment model. However, PET dopaminergic and serotoninergic studies have shown differences between binding potential (BP) values obtained with reference tissue methods and those obtained with conventional kinetic modeling using an arterial input function. In this study, we measured the BP values for the benzodiazepine receptors in seven subjects using PET [(11)C]flumazenil and SPECT [(123)I]iomazenil radioligands. We compared the BP values obtained using the reference tissue methods with those obtained using the conventional kinetic method. These values were also compared with the absolute value of receptor density, B'(max). For the PET studies, a multi-injection approach employing labeled and unlabeled flumazenil was used to estimate the main binding parameters, BP and B'(max). For SPECT studies, a single injection protocol of [(123)I]iomazenil was used to estimate BP values. The BP values were estimated using one- and two-tissue compartment models for the target region. Similar BP values were obtained using either the one- or two-tissue compartment model. This is probably due to the rapid equilibrium between tissue compartments reached with these radioligands. For PET and SPECT, these BP values were highly correlated (r > 0.960) to the BP values obtained using the arterial input function. We also found high correlations between the BP values obtained using the simplified reference tissue method and the receptor density parameter B'(max) (r > 0.884). However, the reference tissue methods yielded lower BP values than those obtained using the conventional approach. Moreover, there was a bias on BP values that was not a simple scaling. It seems that the physiological values found in gray matter structures using these radioligands give acceptable BP values. We conclude that the reference tissue methods should be carefully evaluated for each radioligand.     

The impact of physiological noise correction on fMRI at 7 T

Sub-striatal regions of interest (ROIs) are widely used in PET studies to investigate the role of dopamine in the modulation of neural networks implicated in emotion, cognition and motor function. One common approach is that of Mawlawi et al. (2001) and Martinez et al. (2003), where each striatum is divided into five sub-regions. This study focuses on the use of two spatial normalization-based alternatives to manual sub-striatal ROI delineation per subject: manual ROI delineation on a template brain and the production of probabilistic ROIs from a set of subject-specific manually delineated ROIs. Two spatial normalization algorithms were compared: SPM5 unified segmentation and ART. The ability of these methods to quantify sub-striatal regional non-displaceable binding potential (BP(ND)) and BP(ND) % change (following methylphenidate) was tested on 32 subjects (16 controls and 16 ADHD patients) scanned with the dopamine D(2)/D(3) ligand [(18)F]fallypride. Probabilistic ROIs produced by ART provided the best results, with similarity index values against subject-specific manual ROIs of 0.75-0.89 (mean 0.84) compared to 0.70-0.85 (mean 0.79) for template ROIs. Correlations (r) for BP(ND) and BP(ND) % change between subject-specific manual ROIs and these probabilistic ROIs of 0.90-0.98 (mean 0.95) and 0.98-1.00 (mean 0.99) respectively were superior overall to those obtained with template ROIs, although only marginally so for BP(ND) % change. The significance of relationships between BP(ND) measures and both behavioural tasks and methylphenidate plasma levels was preserved with ART combined with both probabilistic and template ROIs. SPM5 virtually matched the performance of ART for BP(ND) % change estimation but was inferior for BP(ND) estimation in caudate sub-regions. ART spatial normalization combined with probabilistic ROIs and to a lesser extent template ROIs provides an efficient and accurate alternative to time-consuming manual sub-striatal ROI delineation per subject, especially when the parameter of interest is BP(ND) % change.     

Evaluation of voxel-based methods for the statistical analysis of PIB PET amyloid imaging studies in Alzheimer's disease

Deposition of amyloid plaques is believed to be a central event in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study was undertaken to evaluate statistical methods for the assessment of group differences in retention of an amyloid imaging agent, PIB, throughout the brain and to compare these results to FDG studies of glucose metabolism performed in the same subjects on the same day. PET studies were performed in 10 mild to moderate AD and 11 control subjects. Parametric images of PIB retention (over 90 min post-injection) were generated using the Logan graphical analysis with cerebellar (CER, reference region) data as input. FDG parametric images were created by summing the uptake over 40-60 min post-injection and normalizing that to the CER to give a standardized uptake value ratio. Data were compared using parametric (SPM) and non-parametric (SnPM) statistical methods with familywise error (FWE) and false discovery rate (FDR) corrections. PIB results were consistent with previous regional results as AD subjects showed highly significant retention in frontal, parietal, temporal, and posterior cingulate cortices (FDR-corrected p<1.4e-10). FDG results showed regions of marginally significant decreases in uptake in AD subjects (frontal, parietal, temporal, posterior cingulate cortices: FDR-corrected p<0.1) consistent with previous studies. Relative to FDG, the PIB analyses were of greater statistical significance and larger spatial extent. Additionally, the PIB analyses retained significance after both FWE and FDR corrections. These results indicate that voxel-based methods will be useful for future larger longitudinal studies of amyloid deposition that could improve AD diagnosis and anti-amyloid therapy assessment.     

A comparison of recent parametric neuroreceptor mapping approaches based on measurements with the high affinity PET radioligands [11C]FLB 457 and [11C]WAY 100635

In positron emission tomography (PET) studies, the detailed mapping of neuroreceptor binding is a trade-off between parametric accuracy and spatial precision. Logan's graphical approach is a straightforward way to quickly obtain binding potential values at the voxel level but it has been shown to have a noise-dependent negative bias. More recently suggested approaches claim to improve parametric accuracy with retained spatial resolution. In the present study, we used PET measurements on regional D2 dopamine and 5-HT1A serotonin receptor binding in man to compare binding potential (BP) estimates of six different parametric imaging approaches to the traditional Logan ROI-based approach which was used as a "gold standard". The parametric imaging approaches included Logan's reference tissue graphical analysis (PILogan), its version recently modified by Varga and Szabo (PIVarga), two versions of the wavelet-based approach, Gunn's basis function method (BFM) and Gunn et al.'s recent compartmental theory-based approach employing basis pursuit strategy for kinetic modeling (called DEPICT). Applicability for practical purposes in basic and clinical research was also considered. The results indicate that the PILogan and PIVarga approaches fail to recover the correct values, the wavelet-based approaches overcome the noise susceptibility of the Logan fit with generally good recovery of BP values, and BFM and DEPICT seem to produce values with a bias dependent on receptor density. Further investigations on this bias and other phenomena revealed fundamental issues regarding the use of BFM and DEPICT on noisy voxel-wise data. In conclusion, the wavelet-based approaches seem to provide the most valid and reliable estimates across regions with a wide range of receptor densities. Furthermore, the results support the use of receptor parametric imaging in applied studies in basic or clinical research.     

Linear regression with spatial constraint to generate parametric images of ligand-receptor dynamic PET studies with a simplified reference tissue model

For the quantitative analysis of ligand-receptor dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) studies, it is often desirable to apply reference tissue methods that eliminate the need for arterial blood sampling. A common technique is to apply a simplified reference tissue model (SRTM). Applications of this method are generally based on an analytical solution of the SRTM equation with parameters estimated by nonlinear regression. In this study, we derive, based on the same assumptions used to derive the SRTM, a new set of operational equations of integral form with parameters directly estimated by conventional weighted linear regression (WLR). In addition, a linear regression with spatial constraint (LRSC) algorithm is developed for parametric imaging to reduce the effects of high noise levels in pixel time activity curves that are typical of PET dynamic data. For comparison, conventional weighted nonlinear regression with the Marquardt algorithm (WNLRM) and nonlinear ridge regression with spatial constraint (NLRRSC) were also implemented using the nonlinear analytical solution of the SRTM equation. In contrast to the other three methods, LRSC reduces the percent root mean square error of the estimated parameters, especially at higher noise levels. For estimation of binding potential (BP), WLR and LRSC show similar variance even at high noise levels, but LRSC yields a smaller bias. Results from human studies demonstrate that LRSC produces high-quality parametric images. The variance of R(1) and k(2) images generated by WLR, WNLRM, and NLRRSC can be decreased 30%-60% by using LRSC. The quality of the BP images generated by WLR and LRSC is visually comparable, and the variance of BP images generated by WNLRM can be reduced 10%-40% by WLR or LRSC. The BP estimates obtained using WLR are 3%-5% lower than those estimated by LRSC. We conclude that the new linear equations yield a reliable, computationally efficient, and robust LRSC algorithm to generate parametric images of ligand-receptor dynamic PET studies.     

Inter-rater reliability of manual and automated region-of-interest delineation for PiB PET

A major challenge in positron emission tomography (PET) amyloid imaging studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the reliable detection of early amyloid deposition in human brain. Manual region-of-interest (ROI) delineation on structural magnetic resonance (MR) images is generally the reference standard for the extraction of count-rate data from PET images, as compared to automated MR-template(s) methods that utilize spatial normalization and a single set of ROIs. The goal of this work was to assess the inter-rater reliability of manual ROI delineation for PiB PET amyloid retention measures and the impact of CSF dilution correction (CSF) on this reliability for data acquired in elderly control (n=5) and AD (n=5) subjects. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to measure reliability. As a secondary goal, ICC scores were also computed for PiB outcome measures obtained by an automated MR-template ROI method and one manual rater; to assess the level of reliability that could be achieved using different processing methods. Fourteen ROIs were evaluated that included anterior cingulate (ACG), precuneus (PRC) and cerebellum (CER). The PiB outcome measures were the volume of distribution (V(T)), summed tissue uptake (SUV), and corresponding ratios that were computed using CER as reference (DVR and SUVR). Substantial reliability (ICC≥0.932) was obtained across 3 manual raters for V(T) and SUV measures when CSF correction was applied across all outcomes and regions and was similar in the absence of CSF correction. The secondary analysis revealed substantial reliability in primary cortical areas between the automated and manual SUV [ICC≥0.979 (ACG/PRC)] and SUVR [ICC≥0.977/0.952 (ACG/PRC)] outcomes. The current study indicates the following rank order among the various reliability results in primary cortical areas and cerebellum (high to low): 1) V(T) or SUV manual delineation, with or without CSF correction; 2) DVR or SUVR manual delineation, with or without CSF correction; 3) SUV automated delineation, with CSF correction; and 4) SUVR automated delineation, with or without CSF correction. The high inter-rater reliability of PiB outcome measures in primary cortical areas (ACG/PRC) is important as reliable methodology is needed for the detection of low levels of amyloid deposition on a cross-sectional basis and small changes in amyloid deposition on a longitudinal basis.     

Parametric Imaging of [<Superscript>11</Superscript>C]Flumazenil Binding in the Rat Brain

Purpose

This study evaluates the performance of several parametric methods for assessing [¹¹C]flumazenil binding distribution in the rat brain.

Procedures

Dynamic (60 min) positron emission tomography data with metabolite-corrected plasma input function were retrospectively analyzed (male Wistar rats, n = 10). Distribution volume (V _T) images were generated from basis function method (BFM), Logan graphical analysis (Logan), and spectral analysis (SA). Using the pons as pseudo-reference tissue, binding potential (BP _ND and DVR–1) images were obtained from receptor parametric imaging algorithms (RPM and SRTM2) and reference Logan (RLogan). Standardized uptake value images (SUV and SUVR) were also computed for different intervals post-injection. Next, regional averages were extracted from the parametric images, using pre-defined volumes of interest, which were also applied to the regional time-activity curves from the dynamic data. Parametric data were compared to their regional counterparts and to two-tissue compartment model (2TCM)-based values (previously defined as the model of choice for rats). Parameter agreement was assessed by linear regression analysis and Bland-Altman plots.

Results

All parametric methods strongly correlated to their regional counterparts (R ² > 0.97) and to the 2TCM values (R ² ≥ 0.95). SA and RLogan underestimated V _T and BP _ND (slope of 0.93 and 0.86, respectively), while SUVR-1 overestimated BP _ND (slope higher than 1.07 for all intervals). While BFM and SRTM2 had the smallest bias to 2TCM values (0.05 for both), ratio Bland-Altman plots showed Logan and RLogan displayed relative errors which were comparable between different regions, in contrast with the other methods. Although SUV consistently underestimated V _T, the bias in this method was also constant across regions.

Conclusions

All parametric methods performed well for the analysis of [¹¹C]flumazenil distribution and binding in the rat brain. However, Logan and RLogan slightly outperformed the other methods in terms of precision, providing robust parameter estimation and constant bias. Yet, other methods can be of interest, because they can provide tissue perfusion (i.e., K ₁ with BFM and SA), relative flow (i.e., R ₁ with RPM and SRTM2), and model order (SA) images.

     

Sex differences in the serotonin 1A receptor and serotonin transporter binding in the human brain measured by PET

Women and men differ in serotonin associated psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety and suicide. Despite this, very few studies focus on sex differences in the serotonin system. Of the biomarkers in the serotonin system, serotonin(1A) (5-HT(1A)) receptor is implicated in depression, and anxiety and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a target for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of these disorders. The objective of the present study was to study sex related differences in the 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT binding potentials (BP(ND)s) in healthy humans, in vivo. Positron emission tomography and selective radioligands [(11)C]WAY100635 and [(11)C]MADAM were used to evaluate binding potentials for 5-HT(1A) receptors (14 women and 14 men) and 5-HTT (8 women and 10 men). The binding potentials were estimated both on the level of anatomical regions and voxel wise, derived by the simplified reference tissue model and wavelet/Logan plot parametric image techniques respectively. Compared to men, women had significantly higher 5-HT(1A) receptor and lower 5-HTT binding potentials in a wide array of cortical and subcortical brain regions. In women, there was a positive correlation between 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT binding potentials for the region of hippocampus. Sex differences in 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT BP(ND) may reflect biological distinctions in the serotonin system contributing to sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. The result of the present study may help in understanding sex differences in drug treatment responses to drugs affecting the serotonin system.     

A consistent and efficient graphical analysis method to improve the quantification of reversible tracer binding in radioligand receptor dynamic PET studies

The widely used Logan plot in radioligand receptor dynamic PET studies produces marked noise-induced negative biases in the estimates of total distribution volume (DV(T)) and binding potential (BP). To avoid the inconsistencies in the estimates from the Logan plot, a new graphical analysis method was proposed and characterized in this study. The new plot with plasma input and with reference tissue input was first derived to estimate DV(T) and BP. A condition was provided to ensure that the estimate from the new plot equals DV(T) or BP. It was demonstrated theoretically that 1) the statistical expectations of the estimates from the new plot with given input are independent of the noise of the target tissue concentration measured by PET; and 2) the estimates from the time activity curves of regions of interest are identical to those from the parametric images for the new plot. The theoretical results of the new plot were also confirmed by computer simulations and fifty-five human [(11)C]raclopride dynamic PET studies. By contrast, the marked noise-induced underestimation in the DV(T) and BP images and noise-induced negative bias in the estimates from the Logan plot were demonstrated by the same data sets used for the new plot. The computational time for generating DV(T) or BP images in the human studies was reduced by 80% on average by the new plot in contrast to the Logan plot. In conclusion, the new plot is a consistent and computationally efficient graphical analysis method to improve the quantification of reversible tracer binding in radioligand receptor dynamic PET studies.     

Strategies for the generation of parametric images of [C]PIB with plasma input functions considering discriminations and reproducibility

Pittsburgh compound B or [¹¹C]PIB is an amyloid imaging agent which shows a clear differentiation between subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and controls. However the observed signal difference in other forms of dementia such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is smaller, and mild cognitively impaired (MCI) subjects and some healthy elderly normals may show intermediate levels of [¹¹C]PIB binding. The cerebellum, a commonly used reference region for non-specific tracer uptake in [¹¹C]PIB studies in AD may not be valid in Prion disorders or monogenic forms of AD. The aim of this work was to: 1—compare methods for generating parametric maps of [¹¹C]PIB retention in tissue using a plasma input function in respect of their ability to discriminate between AD subjects and controls and 2—estimate the test–retest reproducibility in AD subjects. 12  AD subjects (5 of which underwent a repeat scan within 6 weeks) and 10 control subjects had 90 minute [¹¹C]PIB dynamic PET scans, and arterial plasma input functions were measured. Parametric maps were generated with graphical analysis of reversible binding (Logan plot), irreversible binding (Patlak plot), and spectral analysis. Between group differentiation was calculated using Student's t-test and comparisons between different methods were made using p values. Reproducibility was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). We found that the 75 min value of the impulse response function showed the best group differentiation and had a higher ICC than volume of distribution maps generated from Logan and spectral analysis. Patlak analysis of [¹¹C]PIB binding was the least reproducible.     

Relationship of dopamine D1 receptor binding in striatal and extrastriatal regions to cognitive functioning in healthy humans

Dopamine (DA) availability in both striatal and extrastriatal brain regions has been implicated in cognitive performance. Given that different brain regions are neuroanatomically and functionally different, DA receptor binding in different brain regions may be selectively important to specific cognitive functions. Using PET and the radioligand SCH23390, we measured D1 receptor binding potential (BP(ND)) in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus (HC), as well as in sensorimotor (SMST), associative (AST), and limbic (LST) striatum in 20 healthy younger persons. Subjects completed tasks assessing executive functioning, episodic memory, speed, and general knowledge. Unlike previous reports, we found no linear or curvilinear relationships between D1 receptor binding in DLPFC and performance in any cognitive task. However, BP(ND) in HC was positively linked to executive performance as well as to speed and knowledge. With regard to the striatal subregions, D1 BP(ND) in SMST was more strongly related to speed compared to the other striatal subregions, whereas D1 BP(ND) in AST was more strongly linked to general knowledge. These findings provide support for the notion that D1 receptors in separate brain regions are differentially related to performance in tasks tapping various cognitive domains.     

Quantification of dopamine D(2/3) receptors in rat brain using factor analysis corrected [18F]Fallypride images

The goal of this work is to quantify the binding parameters of [(18)F]Fallypride in the striatal and extrastriatal regions of the rat brain using factor analysis (FA) to correct small animal PET kinetic imaging for spillover defluorination radioactivity. Eleven rats were employed for YAP-(S)PET acquisitions and metabolite studies. All kinetic parameters including B'(max) and K(d)V(R) were estimated with a three-tissue compartment seven-parameter model (3T-7k) on the basis of all the FA-corrected data from the multi-injection protocol. Binding potential (BP(ND)) was calculated with Logan's graphical analysis taking cerebellum as the reference region and using the first injection raw (BP(ND-RAW)) and FA-corrected (BP(ND-FA)) data. Three distinct factors corresponding to free+non-specific binding, specific binding and skull and gland accumulation were recovered from FA with their corresponding spatial distributions. The resulting reconstructed images without skull and gland accumulation were improved to provide a better contrast between specific and non-specific regions. Very bad fits were obtained when using time-activity curves (TACs) calculated from the raw [(18)F]Fallypride data, whereas all TACs were well fitted by the 3T-7k model after FA correction. FA-corrected data enables the cerebellar region to be used as reference for the Logan approach. The magnitude of the BP(ND-FA) values was increased from 21% to 108% across regions and the rank order of BP(ND-FA) values (Cx相似文献   

Interictal brain 5-HT1A receptors binding in migraine without aura: a 18F-MPPF-PET study

In this study we aimed to assess the brain distribution of 5-HT(1A) receptors in migraine patients without aura. Ten female migraine patients and 24 female healthy volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography using a radioligand antagonist of 5-HT(1A) receptors [4-(2'-methoxyphenyl)-1-[2'-(N-2-pirydynyl)-p-fluorobenzamido]-ethylpiperazine ((18)F-MPPF)]. A simplified reference tissue model was used to generate parametric images of 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential (BP) values. Statistical Parametrical Mapping (SPM) analysis showed increased MPPF BP in posterior cortical areas and hippocampi bilaterally in patients compared with controls. Region of interest (ROI) analysis showed a non-significant trend in favour of a BP increase patients in cortical regions identified by the SPM analysis except in hippocampi, left parietal areas and raphe nuclei. During the interictal period of migraine patients without aura, the increase of MPPF BP in posterior cortical and limbic areas could reflect an increase in receptor density or a decrease of endogenous serotonin, which could explain their altered cortical excitability.     

Error analysis for quantification of [(11)C]FLB 457 binding to extrastriatal D(2) dopamine receptors in the human brain

To estimate receptor binding of ligand by positron emission tomography (PET) without an arterial input function, several quantitative approaches based on the use of a reference region have been proposed. We compared three approaches for quantifying extrastriatal D(2) dopamine receptors using [(11)C]FLB 457. The PET measurements were performed on seven healthy men. Binding potential (BP) of [(11)C]FLB 457 was calculated by the reference tissue model method, transient equilibrium method, and late time method. The reference tissue model describes the time-activity curve in a brain region in terms of that in the reference region, assuming that the levels of nondisplaceable radioligand binding in both regions are the same. The transient equilibrium theoretically occurs when the derivative for specific binding is zero. With the late time method, BP is calculated by integrating a late part of the time-activity curve. BP values obtained by all methods were in good agreement with those obtained by the kinetic approach, and the highest coefficient of correlation was observed in the reference tissue model method. In the simulation study, the error of BP calculated by the reference tissue model method was smallest. Moreover, the effect of the difference in the influx rate constant K(1) between the brain and the reference regions on BP was nearly avoided as theoretically predicted. We concluded that the reference tissue model method is most suitable for calculating BP of extrastriatal D(2) dopamine receptors with [(11)C]FLB 457.     

Wavelet-aided parametric mapping of cerebral dopamine D2 receptors using the high affinity PET radioligand [11C]FLB 457

The study of human neuroreceptor systems by means of positron emission tomography (PET) and suitable radioligands has proven to be of great importance in research on normal brain functions and the pathophysiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. A for long identified goal is to produce detailed parametric maps of showing neuroreceptor binding parameters for the entire human brain in vivo. The application of wavelet filters has recently been proposed as a solution to handle the inherently low signal-to-noise ratio of PET images. In the present study we applied the wavelet approach to data obtained from 10 healthy subjects who were examined with [11C]FLB 457. This high affinity dopamine D2-receptor antagonist provides a signal from a range of regions with a hundredfold difference in receptor density and should thus be suitable for evaluation of the wavelet approach. For cross-validation purposes the data were analysed with four methods: a traditional region-of-interest (ROI) based analysis, a pixel-based analysis and two variants of wavelet-aided analyses. In both variants the wavelet filter was spatially applied, but a two-dimensional filter was used in one case and a three-dimensional one in the other. The same linear-graphical binding potential (BP) estimation step was used for all methods and the results of the three parametric mapping techniques were compared to the reference ROI-based method by calculating the average BP of representative ROIs. The pixel-based and the two-dimensional-wavelet-based methods yielded highly correlated but systematically lower values when compared to the reference ROI-based method. The approach utilising three-dimensional wavelet filters yielded BP maps with regional averages closely matching the values of the ROI-based method. The results show that the combination of three-dimensional spatial wavelet filtering with established parameter estimation procedures provides detailed, accurate maps of radioligand binding parameters. Such maps can be used for in inter-individual or multi-condition comparisons of binding parameters at subregional levels.