Estimation of component and parameter distributions in spectral analysis

A method is presented for estimating the distributions of the components and parameters determined with spectral analysis when it is applied to a single data set. The method uses bootstrap resampling to simulate the effect of noise on the computed spectrum and to correct for possible bias in the estimates. A number of bootstrap procedures are reviewed, and one is selected for application to the kinetic analysis of positron emission tomography dynamic studies. The technique is shown to require minimal assumptions about noise in the measurements, and its small sample properties are established through Monte-Carlo simulations. The advantages and limitations of spectral analysis with bootstrap resampling for deriving inferences for tracer kinetic modeling are illustrated through sample analyses of time-activity curves for [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose and [15O]-labeled water.