Tracer Kinetic Modeling in Nuclear Medicine: Theory and Applications

Abstract

This chapter has presented the basic principles and clinical and research applications of the kinetic modeling approach, which can be applied to various dynamic data acquired by planar scintigraphy, SPECT or PET. Two main difficulties can arise when selecting a particular compartmental model: when the number of identifiable components is less than the chosen model (e.g. high noise) or more than the chosen model (e.g. heterogeneity). Different strategies have been suggested to tackle these problems. The analyses presented above and concerning 18 F-FDG and 13 N-ammonia are not new per se but the aims was to present typical applications and expose some effects which affect PET data quantitation. It should be emphasized that in research settings, there are differences in reported values for the same parameters in the same category of studies, because the protocols of measurements and procedures of image reconstruction and data analysis are different (see chapters 4 and 7).