The limited spatial resolution of SPECT scanners does not allow an exact measurement of the local radiotracer concentration in brain tissue because partial-volume effects (PVEs) underestimate concentration in small structures of the brain. The aim of this study was to determine which brain structures show greater influence of PVEs in SPECT studies on healthy volunteers and to investigate aging effects on SPECT after the PVE correction.
Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital for Mental, Nervous, and Muscular Disorders, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, 187-8551 Tokyo, Japan. matsudah@ncnpmusashi.gr.jp