"CORT-EX:" a program for quantitative analysis of brain SPECT data

J Nucl Med. 1990 Nov;31(11):1862-71.

Abstract

A program was developed to extract from brain SPECT data global as well as regional concentrations of a radiopharmaceutical while allowing for improved subjective evaluation of its distribution. This program was used to process the data obtained from 17 normal subjects, 20 min, 2 hr, and 4 hr after the injection of iodine-labeled iodoamphetamines. The mean absolute cortical uptake at these three time periods was 0.921 (+/- 0.185), 0.803 (+/- 0.107), and 0.748 (+/- 0.103) in arbitrary units (+/- s.d.), respectively. The regional distribution of the tracer became more uniform with time due to an uneven washout rate. The cerebellum was noted to have a very high variability in its uptake and a high washout rate, making it unsuitable as an internal standard for relative quantification. Finally, a repeat study was performed on 10 subjects. No significant difference could be demonstrated in the mean uptake of the group at 2 and 4 hr, however the difference observed in the 20 min uptake values was significant at the p = 0.05 level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reference Values
  • Software*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / statistics & numerical data*