# Improving Pediatric SPECT Imaging: Enhanced Lesion Detection with Dose Reduction through Advanced Reconstruction and Motion Correction

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · 2021 · $724,046

## Abstract

Nuclear medicine imaging in children has been shown to have significant clinical value across all organ
systems. In providing this significant benefit it is critical to minimize the radiation dose used in pediatric
patients, whose risk for adverse health effects (such as cancer) per unit administered activity is much higher
than that of adults, owing to their higher tissue sensitivity and longer potential lifespan. The governing principle
of this project will be to minimize radiation dose while methodically ensuring that lesion detection performance
is fully preserved. This will be accomplished by using validations based on both numerical and physician
observers measuring performance in tasks that emulate those performed clinically. We will employ two
approaches in tandem to enable lowering dose while maintaining performance. First, we will use advanced
image reconstruction and processing techniques. Corrections for various forms of image quality degradation
will be incorporated in the reconstruction, and deep learning (DL) will be used for post-reconstruction
denoising. Second, we will develop methods to correct for both body and respiratory motion, which degrade
diagnostic accuracy. Correcting for body and respiratory motion will allow dose to be reduced without loss of
image quality and will also offer a technological alternative to using sedation or even general anesthesia to
minimize motion when imaging children. For this investigation we have selected 99mTc-labeled
dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal imaging as a testbed to demonstrate our approaches. Damage to the
renal cortex resulting from infection of the kidneys is a critical issue in children, including newborns and
toddlers. DMSA SPECT is the “gold-standard” in the evaluation of pyelonephritis and renal scarring post-
infection. The concepts we will demonstrate for reduction of radiation dose and correction of motion with DMSA
will be translatable to other SPECT (and PET) studies in pediatric imaging and beyond.
 Our Specific Aims are: 1. Establish infrastructure for investigating and evaluating advanced reconstruction
and motion correction; 2. Determine the extent of radiation dose reduction to pediatric patients through
improved reconstruction and DL denoising while maintaining optimal full-dose lesion detection accuracy; 3.
Develop data-driven and depth-sensing camera methods for body and respiratory motion estimation and
correction; and 4. Conduct numerical and physician observer studies to validate the level of dose reduction
enabled by DL denoising and motion correction.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10168531
- **Project number:** 5R01EB029315-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** FREDERIC H FAHEY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $724,046
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10168531

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10168531, Improving Pediatric SPECT Imaging: Enhanced Lesion Detection with Dose Reduction through Advanced Reconstruction and Motion Correction (5R01EB029315-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10168531. Licensed CC0.

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