AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION OF SPECT IMAGES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO IMMOBILIZATION IN NEUROACTIVATION STUDIES

Subtraction of the two components (baseline and stimulation) of a neur oactivation study using Tc-99(m) HMPAO SPECT requires accurate registr ation of the two images. Immobilization of the subject during and betw een the two components of the study can prove difficult and degrades s ignal to noise ratio. The use of an automated image registration techn ique for registering the two components of the test can, even in the c ase where the subject is removed from the scanner, produce significant ly better registration than immobilization.