[Feasibility of Adapting Various Tumor-to-normal Bone Ratio Images on an Automatic Quantification Package for Phantom-based Image Quality Assessment in Bone SPECT].

We investigated the impact of the tumor-to-normal bone ratio (TNR) on the concordance rate between a detectability score classified by software (DS) using an automatic quantification package for bone SPECT (Hone Graph) and a detectability score classified by visual assessment (DS), and considered the feasibility of applying this software to various TNR images. Tc solution was filled into a SIM bone phantom to achieve TNRs of 4, 6, and 8, performed by dynamic SPECT acquisitions performed for 12 minutes; reconstructions were performed using ordered subset expectation maximization at timepoints ranging from 4 to 12 minutes. This yielded a total of 384 lesions (96 SPECT images).

Automatic quantification package (Hone Graph) for phantom-based image quality assessment in bone SPECT: computerized automatic classification of detectability.

Objective: We previously developed a custom-design thoracic bone scintigraphy-specific phantom ("SIM bone phantom") to assess image quality in bone single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We aimed to develop an automatic assessment system for imaging technology in bone SPECT and demonstrate the validity of this system.

Methods: Four spherical lesions of 13-, 17-, 22-, and 28-mm diameters in the vertebrae of SIM bone phantom simulating the thorax were filled with radioactivity (target-to-background ratio: 4).

Relationship between tumor volume and quantitative values calculated using two-dimensional bone scan images.

The bone scan index (BSI) is calculated from a whole-body bone scan image; it shows the tumor burden in bone as a percentage of total skeletal mass. It has been used to determine the prognosis and to assess treatment effects; however, little has been reported on whether the BSI calculated using a two-dimensional image can accurately evaluate the three-dimensional spread in tumor volume. We investigated the relationship between tumor volume and BSI using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS).

Whole brain analysis of postmortem density changes of grey and white matter on computed tomography by statistical parametric mapping.

Objectives: This study examined the usefulness of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) for investigating postmortem changes on brain computed tomography (CT).

Methods: This retrospective study included 128 patients (23 - 100 years old) without cerebral abnormalities who underwent unenhanced brain CT before and after death. The antemortem CT (AMCT) scans and postmortem CT (PMCT) scans were spatially normalized using our original brain CT template, and postmortem changes of CT values (in Hounsfield units; HU) were analysed by the SPM technique.

Evaluation of a revised version of computer-assisted diagnosis system, BONENAVI version 2.1.7, for bone scintigraphy in cancer patients.

Objective: BONENAVI is a computer-assisted diagnosis system that analyzes bone scintigraphy automatically. We experienced more than a few segmentation errors with the previous BONENAVI version (2.0.

Regional cerebral blood flow in late-onset schizophrenia: a SPECT study using 99mTc-ECD.

Progressive disability in schizophrenia has been considered to be associated with onset-age. The objective of this study was to evaluate age onset-related degeneration in rCBF in patients with schizophrenia. We evaluated characteristic changes in brain perfusion by age, gender, medication and clinical symptoms in medicated patients with early-onset (EOS: developed at younger than 40 years old: n = 44) and late-onset (LOS: developed at older than 40 years old: n = 19) schizophrenia and control subjects matched for age and gender (n = 37) using statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) applied to 99mTc-ECD SPECT.

The effects of aging on changes in regional cerebral blood flow in schizophrenia.

Aims: Although there have been no conclusive pathophysiological findings in support of the degeneration theory in the etiology of schizophrenia to date, results of our neuroimaging studies suggest functional changes in the brains of schizophrenics. We evaluated age-related changes of brain perfusion in medicated patients with schizophrenia.

Method: In this study, we evaluated age-related changes in brain perfusion in medicated schizophrenia patients (n = 44) and control subjects (n = 37) undergoing (99m)Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission computed tomography.

Evaluation of the difference-correction effect of the gamma camera systems used by easy Z-score Imaging System (eZIS) analysis.

Objective: We examined the difference of the effect by data to revise a gamma camera difference. The difference-correction method of the camera is incorporated in eZIS analysis.

Methods: We acquired single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data from the three-dimensional (3D) Hoffman brain phantom (Hoffman), the three-dimensional brain phantom (3D-Brain), Pool phantom (pool) and from normal subjects (Normal-SPECT) to investigate compensating for a difference in gamma camera systems.

The effects of combine treatment of memantine and donepezil on Alzheimer's disease patients and its relationship with cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal area.

Background: In this study, we evaluated the effect on cognitive function of memantine, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and the care burden, in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), we examined the association between effect of memantine and brain blood flow.

Methods: We evaluated the effect of memantine administration from baseline on Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale, mini mental state examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (J-ZBI) and NIRS in two groups, donepezil administration memantine combination group (combination group, n = 19) donepezil administration memantine non-administration group (control group, n = 18) were assessed at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24.

Yokukansan (TJ-54) for treatment of very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: an open-label study.

Background: Although schizophrenia affects all age groups, late or very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis has not been well studied, and various treatment issues remain unresolved. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of yokukansan (TJ-54), Japanese herbal medicine, monotherapy in a diagnostically homogenous group of elderly patients without cognitive impairment suffering from very-late-onset schizophrenia.

Methods: Forty patients of mean age 73.

Yokukansan (TJ-54) for treatment of pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified and Asperger's disorder: a 12-week prospective, open-label study.

Background: Numerous medications have been tested on patients with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger's disorder. Although many of these medications have been demonstrated to be useful, no clear primary treatment for PDD-NOS and Asperger's disorder has emerged. Despite the efficacy of some of the medicines, the acceptability and side effects have proven to be barriers to their use.

Minocycline as adjunctive therapy for patients with unipolar psychotic depression: an open-label study.

Background: Approximately 25% of patients admitted to a hospital as a result of depression are actually suffering from psychotic depression. Psychotic symptoms can be present in patients with either unipolar depression or bipolar depression and can be difficult to treat. It was reported the second-generation tetracycline may exert potential antidepressant effects through its robust neuroprotective activities, which include neurogenesis, antioxidation, and anti-glutamate excitotoxicity, and may direct regulation of pro-inflammatory agents.

Yi-gan san for treatment of charles bonnet syndrome (visual hallucination due to vision loss): an open-label study.

Background: Recent studies indicate that the traditional Japanese herbal medicine yi-gan san (YGS, yokukan-san in Japanese) may be safe and useful for treating behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, borderline personality disorder, neuroleptic-induced tardive dyskinesia, and treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Visual hallucinations are common and often distressing consequences of vision loss, particularly in age-related macular degeneration. Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is defined by the triad of complex visual hallucinations, ocular pathology causing visual deterioration, and preserved cognitive status.

Abnormalities in MRI signal intensity in schizophrenia associated with idiopathic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether patients with idiopathic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (Gilbert's syndrome; GS) have specific changes in signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Axial 5 mm-thick T1-weighted and T2-weighted MRI was acquired from schizophrenia patients with GS (n = 24) and schizophrenia patients without GS (n = 60). All patients were diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria and were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls without GS (n=60) and controls with GS (n=36).

Neural correlates of memory in depression measured by brain perfusion SPECT at rest.

Aim: Brain metabolism activated studies have indicated associations between memory and the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus in patients with depression. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate memory function, measured as performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R), and its relationship to brain perfusion using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) at rest in patients with depression.

Methods: The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) and WMS-R were measured for 17 patients with depression by an independent clinical evaluation team.

[Evaluation of the OS-EM parameter with automatic quantitative analysis for cerebral blood flow of the ECD tool].

The parameters of reconstruction iteration and subset of the ordered subset expectation maximization (OS-EM) method have a great impact on image quality. In a cerebral blood flow (CBF) examination, it is critical to produce consistent results when analyzing clinical data. We evaluated the number of iterations and subset of the OS-EM method to stabilize image quality using a normal case and an infarction case.

[Development and assessment of an automatic quantitative cerebral vascular reserve estimation tool for use with triple-injection 99mTc-ECD SPECT].

In nuclear medicine, cerebral vascular reserve(CVR) is evaluated using technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer [99mTc-ECD] and acetazolamide(ACZ). We developed a protocol involving the intravenous injection of 99mTc-ECD in three divided doses(TIE method), and have found that the cerebrovascular response to ACZ depended on time after ACZ administration. However, it was difficult to obtain high-precision quantitative SPECT images by the conventional method because of complicated image processing and image degradation accompanying image subtraction.

Automatic motion correction for quantification of myocardial perfusion with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.

Respiratory motion makes it difficult to quantify myocardial perfusion with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate an automatic registration method for motion correction for quantification of myocardial perfusion with dynamic MRI. The present method was based on the gradient-based method with robust estimation of displacement parameters.