SPECT Uptake Ratios: A Monte Carlo Study

In dopamine brain SPECT, semiquantitative techniques are in use, mostly for research purposes, to calculate activity uptake in the striatum relative to the background. The measured uptake ratios depend on both acquisition and reconstruction, and one important parameter is the rotation radius of the g-camera detectors, which affects spatial resolution. In brain SPECT research studies, the rotation radius is typically set to a constant value to maintain a constant resolution, but because of variations in patient anatomy and compliance, this is not always possible. Methods: In this study, correction factors as a function of rotation radius are developed to correct the uptake ratios where the rotation radius has deviated from the reference value, 15 cm. Monte Carlo simulations of a digital brain phantom were used to produce images with a high and a low uptake ratio, and for both studies the rotation radius was varied between 14 and 23 cm. Two different methods, one based on 2-dimensional (2D) regions of interest of constant shape and size, and one based on predefined 3-dimensional (3D) volumes of interest, were used to calculate the semiquantitative uptake ratios. Results: For the 2D method, the change in uptake ratio was 1.2%/cm for the high uptake ratio and 0.9%/cm for the low uptake ratio. The corresponding results for the 3D method were 2.1% and 1.7%, respectively. Conclusion: The 3D method was found to be more dependent on rotation radius than the 2D method, which was expected because of the 3D nature of the partial-volume effect. The correction factors were, however, less dependent on which of the 2 uptake ratios was simulated, which is positive for the application of the correction equations on patient data.