Models for computer simulation studies of input functions for tracer kinetic modeling with positron emission tomography.

In tracer kinetic modeling with Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the direct measurement (piecewise linear approximation) of plasma time-activity curve of tracer (PTAC) is often used as the input function to estimate regional physiological parameters. However, no explicit general model is available for PTAC itself, which limits the further study of the effects of PTAC, such as PTAC measurement noise or PTAC sampling schedules, on the physiological parameters estimation. A PTAC model is proposed in this paper and compared with other four possible candidates. Eight sets of [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) experimental data were used to test the models and several statistical criteria were used to validate their adequacy. An application of the model to improve the estimation of local cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (LCMRGlc) is presented. This model is also expected to be useful for generating realistic PTAC curves in computer simulation studies of other tracers and their kinetic modeling characteristics.