# PARTIAL VOLUME CORRECTION IN PET IMAGING IN AGING

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 1992 · $284,194

## Abstract

Within the past decade, technological advances in positron emission
tomography (PET) imaging have provided information previously unobtainable
about the neurochemical factors involved in normal aging as well as their
role in neurological diseases of the elderly including Alzheimer's Disease.
Despite these advances, PET imaging is limited by the need to correct for
effects of partial volume averaging.  Consideration of these effects is
key; without it, alterations in brain metabolic rates or receptor binding
may be interpreted as intrinsic changes in brain chemistry when, in fact,
they arise due to brain atrophy.This project is a multidisciplinary
approach to the development, validation and implementation of an analytic
model for whole brain correction of partial volume effects in PET imaging.
The goal of this project is to apply the model to estimate regional brain
radioactivity concentrations in gray matter tissue.  Validation methods are
described using computer generated PET images derived from tissue segmented
MRI images, realistic agarose gel brain phantoms and PET in ex vivo
measurements in baboons.  Following validation the method will be applied
to measurements of regional brain glucose metabolic rate using F-18
fluorodeoxyglucose and regional brain mu opiate receptors using C-11
carfentanil.  The impact of the partial volume correction method on
measurements of brain glucose metabolism and mu opiate receptors is a
function of age in healthy human subjects and in patients with Alzheimer's
Disease.  By eliminating the confounding variable of partial volume effect
in these studies, the result is more accurate quantification of brain
glucose metabolism and mu opiate receptors, which we hope will lead to the
discovery of new patterns of change in normal aging and Alzheimer's
Disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122534
- **Project number:** 1R01AG010624-01
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** FTMTDMBR29C7
- **Principal Investigator:** James JAMES FROST
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $284,194
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1992-07-01 → 1995-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122534

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122534, PARTIAL VOLUME CORRECTION IN PET IMAGING IN AGING (1R01AG010624-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122534. Licensed CC0.

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