Theoretical investigation of the estimation of relative regional neuroreceptor concentration from a single SPECT or PET image

The validity of estimating changes in regional neuroreceptor concentration based upon a single ECT (emission computed tomography) image is examined to determine whether an image can be acquired at a time when changes in the observed regional radioactivity are much more sensitive to changes in receptor concentration than to changes in radioligand delivery. These sensitivities are defined as the normalized partial derivatives of the regional radioactivity signal (S) with respect to the total receptor (R_t) and with respect to radioligand delivery (k₁). Using computer simulations, it is found that (∂s/∂R_t)/( S/R_t) can be less than unity (receptor hyposensitivity), approximately equal to unity, or significantly greater than unity (receptor hypersensitivity). It is possible to find classes of parameter sets under which the receptor sensitivity is close to unity and the delivery sensitivity is of much lower magnitude. The results indicate that if the parameters for a given radioligand-neuroreceptor system can be established as belonging to one of these classes, then changes in regional neuroreceptor concentration can be estimated based upon a single ECT image