Data Management and Network Architecture Effect on Performance Variability in Direct Attenuation Correction via Deep Learning for Cardiac SPECT: A Feasibility Study

Attenuation correction (AC) is important for the accurate interpretation of single-photon computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). However, it is challenging to perform AC in dedicated cardiac systems not equipped with a transmission imaging capability. Previously, we demonstrated the feasibility of generating attenuation-corrected SPECT images using a deep learning technique (SPECT
_DL
) directly from noncorrected images (SPECT
_NC
). However, we observed performance variability across patients which is an important factor for clinical translation of the technique. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of overcoming the performance variability across patients for the direct AC in SPECT MPI by proposing to develop an advanced network and a data management strategy. To investigate, we compared the accuracy of the SPECT
_DL
for the conventional U-Net and Wasserstein cycle generative adversarial networks (WCycleGANs). To manage the training data, clustering was applied to a representation of data in the lower dimensional space, and the training data were chosen based on the similarity of data in this space. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the DL model with an advanced network improves the global performance for the AC task with the limited data. However, the regional results were not improved. The proposed data management strategy demonstrated that the clustered training has a potential benefit for effective training.