Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT
Abstract Background Myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) images often suffer from artefacts caused by low-count statistics. Poor-quality images can lead to misinterpretations of perfusion defects. Deep learning (DL)-based methods have been proposed to overcome the noise artefacts. The aim of this study...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-02-01
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| Series: | EJNMMI Physics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40658-023-00531-0 |
| _version_ | 1797849867968577536 |
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| author | Antti Sohlberg Tuija Kangasmaa Chris Constable Antti Tikkakoski |
| author_facet | Antti Sohlberg Tuija Kangasmaa Chris Constable Antti Tikkakoski |
| author_sort | Antti Sohlberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) images often suffer from artefacts caused by low-count statistics. Poor-quality images can lead to misinterpretations of perfusion defects. Deep learning (DL)-based methods have been proposed to overcome the noise artefacts. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences among several DL denoising models. Methods Convolution neural network (CNN), residual neural network (RES), UNET and conditional generative adversarial neural network (cGAN) were generated and trained using ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstructed MPS studies acquired with full, half, three-eighths and quarter acquisition time. All DL methods were compared against each other and also against images without DL-based denoising. Comparisons were made using half and quarter time acquisition data. The methods were evaluated in terms of noise level (coefficient of variation of counts, CoV), structural similarity index measure (SSIM) in the myocardium of normal patients and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of realistic artificial perfusion defects inserted into normal MPS scans. Total perfusion deficit scores were used as observer rating for the presence of a perfusion defect. Results All the DL denoising methods tested provided statistically significantly lower noise level than OSEM without DL-based denoising with the same acquisition time. CoV of the myocardium counts with the different DL noising methods was on average 7% (CNN), 8% (RES), 7% (UNET) and 14% (cGAN) lower than with OSEM. All DL methods also outperformed full time OSEM without DL-based denoising in terms of noise level with both half and quarter acquisition time, but this difference was not statistically significant. cGAN had the lowest CoV of the DL methods at all noise levels. Image quality and polar map uniformity of DL-denoised images were also better than reduced acquisition time OSEM’s. SSIM of the reduced acquisition time OSEM was overall higher than with the DL methods. The defect detection performance of full time OSEM measured as area under the ROC curve (AUC) was on average 0.97. Half time OSEM, CNN, RES and UNET provided equal or nearly equal AUC. However, with quarter time data CNN, RES and UNET had an average AUC of 0.93, which was lower than full time OSEM’s AUC, but equal to quarter acquisition time OSEM. cGAN did not achieve the defect detection performance of the other DL methods. Its average AUC with half time data was 0.94 and 0.91 with quarter time data. Conclusions DL-based denoising effectively improved noise level with slightly lower perfusion defect detection performance than full time reconstruction. cGAN achieved the lowest noise level, but at the same time the poorest defect detection performance among the studied DL methods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:52:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4e4e36dcc26437daee8c5873e2122e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2197-7364 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:52:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EJNMMI Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4e4e36dcc26437daee8c5873e2122e42023-04-09T11:27:16ZengSpringerOpenEJNMMI Physics2197-73642023-02-0110111510.1186/s40658-023-00531-0Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECTAntti Sohlberg0Tuija Kangasmaa1Chris Constable2Antti Tikkakoski3Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Päijät-Häme Central HospitalDepartment of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Vaasa Central HospitalHERMES Medical SolutionsClinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tampere University HospitalAbstract Background Myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) images often suffer from artefacts caused by low-count statistics. Poor-quality images can lead to misinterpretations of perfusion defects. Deep learning (DL)-based methods have been proposed to overcome the noise artefacts. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences among several DL denoising models. Methods Convolution neural network (CNN), residual neural network (RES), UNET and conditional generative adversarial neural network (cGAN) were generated and trained using ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstructed MPS studies acquired with full, half, three-eighths and quarter acquisition time. All DL methods were compared against each other and also against images without DL-based denoising. Comparisons were made using half and quarter time acquisition data. The methods were evaluated in terms of noise level (coefficient of variation of counts, CoV), structural similarity index measure (SSIM) in the myocardium of normal patients and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of realistic artificial perfusion defects inserted into normal MPS scans. Total perfusion deficit scores were used as observer rating for the presence of a perfusion defect. Results All the DL denoising methods tested provided statistically significantly lower noise level than OSEM without DL-based denoising with the same acquisition time. CoV of the myocardium counts with the different DL noising methods was on average 7% (CNN), 8% (RES), 7% (UNET) and 14% (cGAN) lower than with OSEM. All DL methods also outperformed full time OSEM without DL-based denoising in terms of noise level with both half and quarter acquisition time, but this difference was not statistically significant. cGAN had the lowest CoV of the DL methods at all noise levels. Image quality and polar map uniformity of DL-denoised images were also better than reduced acquisition time OSEM’s. SSIM of the reduced acquisition time OSEM was overall higher than with the DL methods. The defect detection performance of full time OSEM measured as area under the ROC curve (AUC) was on average 0.97. Half time OSEM, CNN, RES and UNET provided equal or nearly equal AUC. However, with quarter time data CNN, RES and UNET had an average AUC of 0.93, which was lower than full time OSEM’s AUC, but equal to quarter acquisition time OSEM. cGAN did not achieve the defect detection performance of the other DL methods. Its average AUC with half time data was 0.94 and 0.91 with quarter time data. Conclusions DL-based denoising effectively improved noise level with slightly lower perfusion defect detection performance than full time reconstruction. cGAN achieved the lowest noise level, but at the same time the poorest defect detection performance among the studied DL methods.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40658-023-00531-0Cardiac SPECTDenoisingDeep learning |
| spellingShingle | Antti Sohlberg Tuija Kangasmaa Chris Constable Antti Tikkakoski Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT EJNMMI Physics Cardiac SPECT Denoising Deep learning |
| title | Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT |
| title_full | Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT |
| title_short | Comparison of deep learning-based denoising methods in cardiac SPECT |
| title_sort | comparison of deep learning based denoising methods in cardiac spect |
| topic | Cardiac SPECT Denoising Deep learning |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40658-023-00531-0 |
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