HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Houston, A. S. Articles by Macleod, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Houston, A. S. Articles by Macleod, M. A.

A Method for Assessing the Significance of Abnormalities in HMPAO Brain SPECT Images

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, Gosport, United Kingdom

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Dr. A. S. Houston, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2AA, United Kingdom.

ABSTRACT

Methods: A normal atlas for HMPAO rCBF SPECT images was obtained from images of 53 normal controls. Following image registration and normalization, a mean image was extracted, while images representing correlated normal deviants were identified using principal component analysis. These images formed the "building blocks" of the atlas. For subsequent images, the atlas was used to create a "nearest normal equivalent" image, which was compared to a residual standard deviation image to determine the significance of deviations in the new image. Results: Images from 30 patients (10 with Alzheimer's disease;12 with single or multiple infarcts; and 8 normals) were analyzed. Conclusion: Using an optimal decision level, 10/10 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 11/12 patients with infarcts were correctly identified, with only one false-positive resulting. We utilized a database of images obtained from normal controls to create a normal atlas.

Key Words: HMPAO brain SPECT • Alzheimer's disease