An event-driven motion correction method for neurological PET studies of awake laboratory animals

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the feasibility of an event driven motion correction method for neurological microPET imaging of small laboratory animals in the fully awake state. Procedures: A motion tracking technique was developed using an optical motion tracking system and light (<1g) printed targets. This was interfaced to a microPET scanner. Recorded spatial transformations were applied in software to list mode events to create a motion-corrected sinogram. Motion correction was evaluated in microPET studies, in which a conscious animal was simulated by a phantom that was moved during data acquisition. Results: The motion-affected scan was severely distorted compared with a reference scan of the stationary phantom. Motion correction yielded a nearly distortion-free reconstruction and a marked reduction in mean squared error. Conclusions: This work is an important step towards motion tracking and motion correction in neurological studies of awake animals in the small animal PET imaging environment.