Abstract
Background
Dual-head SPECT systems are used by many clinical departments for [123I]FP-CIT SPECT imaging, while triple-head or brain-dedicated systems with better imaging performance are more commonly used by research institutions. There are limited data comparing the capability of the two types of system to measure dopamine transporter (DAT) loss in vivo.
Purpose
The aim of this study was to compare the ability of a dual-head and a brain-dedicated SPECT system to estimate the degree of DAT loss in different movement disorders with variable nigrostriatal impairment, with [123I]FP-CIT.
Materials and methods
Four patients with essential tremor, 24 with Parkinson’s disease (PD), six with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 and six controls were studied with [123I]FP-CIT. SPECT scans were performed on a dual-head (E.CAM—Siemens) and subsequently on a brain-dedicated system (Ceraspect—DSI).
Results
Striatal DAT outcome measures on the E.CAM and the Ceraspect were strongly correlated and the putamen-to-caudate ratios were almost identical. Although the measured values were lower by 52 ± 25% in caudate and by 51 ± 31% in putamen on the E.CAM (p < 0.0001), the average striatal DAT decrease in each patient group compared with controls was similar for both systems. In PD patients, similar correlations (p < 0.05) were found between motor UPDRS or Hoehn and Yahr stage and striatal DAT density.
Conclusions
Despite underestimation of striatal DAT outcome measures, the E.CAM showed similar capability as the Ceraspect in measuring the degree of nigrostriatal dopaminergic deficit and assessing the correlation between DAT outcome measures and clinical variables of PD severity and stage.
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Acknowledgements
This work has been partially supported by funds from GE-Healthcare, by a grant from the Regione Campania to A.V. and from the Ministero dell´Istruzione ed Università to A.F. The authors thank the staff of the Nuclear Medicine Department for the help in the conduction of the study. The support from Prof. Alfredo Postiglione is also acknowledged for SPECT data acquisition. Part of this work has been presented in abstract form at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine 2005 Congress and at the 1st International Symposium on Neuroimaging in Parkinson’s disease in 2007.
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Varrone, A., Sansone, V., Pellecchia, M.T. et al. Comparison between a dual-head and a brain-dedicated SPECT system in the measurement of the loss of dopamine transporters with [123I]FP-CIT. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 35, 1343–1349 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-008-0729-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-008-0729-x