Synthesizing position emission tomography (PET) data from MRI using deep learning

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Principal Investigator(s):
Co-Investigator(s):

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging technique that uses radioactive substances to visualize and assess the brain function. Apart from its heavy use in clinical oncology, PET is widely used in a variety of other conditions such as various neurological, psychiatric, neuropsychological, and cognitive disorders and is the gold standard for assessing neurodegeneration. In particular, PET is clinically used to distinguish Alzheimer’s disease from other dementias and assess the disease progression. Despite its clinical importance, PET imaging encounters barriers because of limited availability, expense and radiation exposure.

This project seeks to address this barrier to brain health using artificial intelligence to predict PET brain images from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Such a method would be extremely beneficial in clinical settings because unlike PET, MRI is widely available, non-invasive and relatively inexpensive. The approach essentially turns an MRI scanner into a PET scanner, opening up this technology to sites and applications in which PET is either unavailable or infeasible. Doing so would give millions of people access to initial screens for Alzheimer’s disease, assessment of disease progression and an easy way to monitor treatment.

Project Period:
January 1, 2021 — December 31, 2022

Funding Type(s):
Philanthropy

Funder(s):
Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions

Research Program(s):

Geographic Area(s):
Washington

Practice Type(s):
Outpatient

Patient Population(s):
Older Adults

Targeted Condition(s):
Cognitive Disorders