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Bevington CWJ, Hanania JU, Ferraresso G, Cheng JC(K, Pavel A, Su D, Stoessl AJ, Sossi V. Novel voxelwise residual analysis of [ 11C]raclopride PET data improves detection of low-amplitude dopamine release. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024; 44:757-771. [PMID: 37974315 PMCID: PMC11197141 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231214823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Existing methods for voxelwise transient dopamine (DA) release detection rely on explicit kinetic modeling of the [11C]raclopride PET time activity curve, which at the voxel level is typically confounded by noise, leading to poor performance for detection of low-amplitude DA release-induced signals. Here we present a novel data-driven, task-informed method-referred to as Residual Space Detection (RSD)-that transforms PET time activity curves to a residual space where DA release-induced perturbations can be isolated and processed. Using simulations, we demonstrate that this method significantly increases detection performance compared to existing kinetic model-based methods for low-magnitude DA release (simulated +100% peak increase in basal DA concentration). In addition, results from nine healthy controls injected with a single bolus of [11C]raclopride performing a finger tapping motor task are shown as proof-of-concept. The ability to detect relatively low magnitudes of dopamine release in the human brain using a single bolus injection, while achieving higher statistical power than previous methods, may additionally enable more complex analyses of neurotransmitter systems. Moreover, RSD is readily generalizable to multiple tasks performed during a single PET scan, further extending the capabilities of task-based single-bolus protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor WJ Bevington
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jordan U Hanania
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Giovanni Ferraresso
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ju-Chieh (Kevin) Cheng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Alexandra Pavel
- Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Dongning Su
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - A Jon Stoessl
- Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Vesna Sossi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Calakos KC, Liu H, Lu Y, Anderson JM, Matuskey D, Nabulsi N, Ye Y, Skosnik PD, D'Souza DC, Morris ED, Cosgrove KP, Hillmer AT. Assessment of transient dopamine responses to smoked cannabis. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 227:108920. [PMID: 34399137 PMCID: PMC8464527 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dopaminergic mechanisms that may underlie cannabis' reinforcing effects are not well elucidated in humans. This positron emission tomography (PET) imaging study used the dopamine D2/3 receptor antagonist [11C]raclopride and kinetic modelling testing for transient changes in radiotracer uptake to assess the striatal dopamine response to smoked cannabis in a preliminary sample. METHODS PET emission data were acquired from regular cannabis users (n = 14; 7 M/7 F; 19-32 years old) over 90 min immediately after [11C]raclopride administration (584 ± 95 MBq) as bolus followed by constant infusion (Kbol = 105 min). Participants smoked a cannabis cigarette, using a paced puff protocol, 35 min after scan start. Plasma concentrations of Δ9-THC and metabolites and ratings of subjective "high" were collected during imaging. Striatal dopamine responses were assessed voxelwise with a kinetic model testing for transient reductions in [11C]raclopride binding, linear-parametric neurotransmitter PET (lp-ntPET) (cerebellum as a reference region). RESULTS Cannabis smoking increased plasma Δ9-THC levels (peak: 0-10 min) and subjective high (peak: 0-30 min). Significant clusters (>16 voxels) modeled by transient reductions in [11C]raclopride binding were identified for all 12 analyzed scans. In total, 26 clusters of significant responses to cannabis were detected, of which 16 were located in the ventral striatum, including at least one ventral striatum cluster in 11 of the 12 analyzed scans. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary data support the sensitivity of [11C]raclopride PET with analysis of transient changes in radiotracer uptake to detect cannabis smoking-induced dopamine responses. This approach shows future promise to further elucidate roles of mesolimbic dopaminergic signaling in chronic cannabis use. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02817698.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katina C Calakos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Heather Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States.
| | - Yihuan Lu
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Jon Mikael Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States.
| | - David Matuskey
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States; Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States.
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Yunpeng Ye
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Patrick D Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States.
| | - Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States.
| | - Evan D Morris
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510, United States.
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3
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Liu H, Morris ED. Detecting and classifying neurotransmitter signals from ultra-high sensitivity PET data: the future of molecular brain imaging. Phys Med Biol 2021; 66. [PMID: 34330107 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac195d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Efforts to build the next generation of brain PET scanners are underway. It is expected that a new scanner (NS) will offer anorder-of-magnitude improvementin sensitivity to counts compared to the current state-of-the-art, Siemens HRRT. Our goal was to explore the use of the anticipated increased sensitivity in combination with the linear-parametric neurotransmitter PET (lp-ntPET) model to improve detection and classification of transient dopamine (DA) signals. We simulated striatal [11C]raclopride PET data to be acquired on a future NS which will offer ten times the sensitivity of the HRRT. The simulated PET curves included the effects of DA signals that varied in start-times, peak-times, and amplitudes. We assessed the detection sensitivity of lp-ntPET to various shapes of DA signal. We evaluated classification thresholds for their ability to separate 'early'- versus 'late'-peaking, and 'low'- versus 'high'-amplitude events in a 4D phantom. To further refine the characterization of DA signals, we developed a weighted k-nearest neighbors (wkNN) algorithm to incorporate information from the neighborhood around each voxel to reclassify it, with a level of certainty. Our findings indicate that the NS would expand the range of detectable neurotransmitter events to 72%, compared to the HRRT (31%). Application of wkNN augmented the detection sensitivity to DA signals in simulated NS data to 92%. This work demonstrates that the ultra-high sensitivity expected from a new generation of brain PET scanner, combined with a novel classification algorithm, will make it possible to accurately detect and classify short-lived DA signals in the brain based on their amplitude and timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Liu
- Dept. Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America.,Dept. Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Evan D Morris
- Dept. Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America.,Dept. Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America.,Dept. Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Ceccarini J, Liu H, Van Laere K, Morris ED, Sander CY. Methods for Quantifying Neurotransmitter Dynamics in the Living Brain With PET Imaging. Front Physiol 2020; 11:792. [PMID: 32792972 PMCID: PMC7385290 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging in neuropsychiatry is a powerful tool for the quantification of molecular brain targets to characterize disease, assess disease subtype differences, evaluate short- and long-term effects of treatments, or even to measure neurotransmitter levels in healthy and psychiatric conditions. In this work, we present different methodological approaches (time-invariant models and models with time-varying terms) that have been used to measure dynamic changes in neurotransmitter levels induced by pharmacological or behavioral challenges in humans. The developments and potential use of hybrid PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for neurotransmission brain research will also be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Ceccarini
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Heather Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evan D Morris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Invicro LLC, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Christin Y Sander
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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