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Dependence of left ventricular functional parameters on image acquisition time in cardiac-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

Reduction of image acquisition time in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) examinations has been considered. However, association between left ventricular (LV) functional parameters and acquisition time is unclear.

Methods

Twenty-four patients referred to one-day stress/rest SPECT MPI examinations were imaged at rest with dual-headed gamma camera. List-mode emission data were processed into sets of cardiac-gated images corresponding to different acquisition times: 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of total acquisition time (30 seconds per projection). Image quality was quantitatively evaluated by computing contrast-to-noise ratio. LV volumes, wall motion, wall thickening, and mechanical dyssynchrony were quantified with automatic clinical software (QGS; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center).

Results

A significant negative dependence was found between phase analysis parameter values and image acquisition time. Differences in LV volume parameters were small but statistically significant at relative acquisition times of less than 50%. LV wall motion and wall thickening were found to be robust to the increase of noise.

Conclusions

Image acquisition time of gated SPECT MPI examination can be reduced to 15 seconds per projection without significantly affecting LV volumes, wall motion, or wall thickening. However, reduction of acquisition time has a significant effect on phase analysis results.

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Abbreviations

CNR:

Contrast-to-noise ratio

EDV:

End-diastolic volume

EF:

Ejection fraction

ESV:

End-systolic volume

LV:

Left ventricular

MPI:

Myocardial perfusion imaging

QGS:

Quantitative Gated SPECT

ROI:

Region of interest

SPECT:

Single-photon emission computed tomography

SV:

Stroke volume

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the Kuopio University Hospital (VTR, project 5031351) and partly by the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Inverse Problems Research, project 250215.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, POB 100, 70029 KYS, Kuopio, Finland

    Matti J. Kortelainen MSc & Mikko A. Hakulinen PhD

  2. Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

    Matti J. Kortelainen MSc, Tuomas M. Koivumäki PhD, Marko J. Vauhkonen PhD & Mikko A. Hakulinen PhD

  3. Cancer Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

    Tuomas M. Koivumäki PhD

Authors
  1. Matti J. Kortelainen MSc
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  2. Tuomas M. Koivumäki PhD
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Correspondence to Matti J. Kortelainen MSc.

Additional information

See related editorial, doi:10.1007/s12350-015-0196-2.

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Kortelainen, M.J., Koivumäki, T.M., Vauhkonen, M.J. et al. Dependence of left ventricular functional parameters on image acquisition time in cardiac-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 22, 643–651 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-015-0178-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-015-0178-4

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