Test-retest variability of adenosine A(2A) binding in the human brain with (11)C-TMSX and PET

BACKGROUND: The goal of the present study was to evaluate the reproducibility of cerebral adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R) quantification using (11)C-TMSX and PET in a test-retest study. METHODS: Five healthy volunteers were studied twice. The test-retest variability was assessed for distribution volume (V(T)) and binding potential relative to non-displaceable uptake (BP(ND)) based on either metabolite-corrected arterial blood sampling or a reference region. The cerebral cortex and centrum semiovale were used as candidate reference regions. RESULTS: Test-retest variability of V(T) was good in all regions (6% to 13%). In the putamen, BP(ND) using the centrum semiovale displayed a lower test-retest variability (3%) than that of BP(ND) using the cerebral cortex as a reference region (5%). The noninvasive method showed a higher or similar level of test-retest reproducibility compared to the invasive method. CONCLUSIONS: Binding reproducibility is sufficient to use (11)C-TMSX as a tool to measure the change in A(2A)R in the human brain. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13550-014-0076-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.