Considered perhaps the most complex component of the human body often misdiagnosed and mistreated, Diagnostic Imaging Services (DIS) has become only the third center in the United States to offer a state-of-the-art brain study designed to provide a clearer picture of disorders from traumatic brain injury to clinical depression.
In partnering with CereScan®, a Denver, CO based provider of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) brain imaging, DIS now offers an imaging study that provides information about how a person’s brain is working. This type of study is much different than common studies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Computed Tomography (CT), which provide results about structural, anatomical abnormalities in the brain.
This nuclear medicine scan stands apart by completing two exams two days apart, and providing results to the physician that includes data on 140 individual areas of the brain. By this process, information may accurately reveal the difference between people who suffer toxic brain injuries due to carbon monoxide poisoning to others who are bipolar.
“Think of it this way. If your car isn’t running properly, an MRI or CT would take pictures of the car’s engine and we can see all of the parts of the engine to make sure they are there. But, it wouldn’t give you any information about how the engine runs or functions,” said Michael Holmes, Chief Executive Officer at DIS. “The engine should be turned on to get a sense of how it’s running, which is what a SPECT scan does for the brain. It will objectively identify the areas of the brain that aren’t functioning properly and will enable the physician to provide the best targeted treatment possible,” he added.
This comprehensive brain study takes approximately two and one-half hours to complete for each scan. An intravenous (IV) line is placed and radiopharmaceutical is injected, both critical components toward creating a “snapshot” of the brain. A quiet specialized camera rotates around the person to acquire the images.
The CereScan® brain SPECT study is completed at the DIS Women’s & Advanced Imaging Center in Metairie, with exams completed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To learn more about the CereScan® Brain SPECT study, please call 866-722-4806.