WHY SPECT Imaging?
Can you name a medical profession that prescribes medication or treatment without looking at the organ it treats?
Psychiatry and Psychology are the unfortunate answer, but here at Friedel Clinic we’re changing that.
Friedel Clinic Partners with the Amen Clinics to over come this problem. To quote, Dr DANIEL G. AMEN, MD
Founder, Change Your Brain Change Your Life Foundation
"Dear Friends: After three decades as a psychiatrist looking at the brain, I realized we can do much better to decrease stigma, increase compliance, and help patients get better faster. The current state-of-the-art in psychiatry is unacceptable.
If you have crushing chest pain, your doctor will scan your heart; but If you have crushing depression, no one will look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you are sick to your stomach, your doctor will image your abdomen; but If you are sick with anxiety, no one will ever scan your brain. That is unacceptable.
If cancer is destroying your body, your doctor will order a PET scan to see if it has metastasized; but If your addiction is destroying your family, no one will look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have stabbing back pain, your doctor will order an MRI of your back; but If you have repetitive urges to stab others, no one will ever look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have persistent knee pain, your doctor will image your knees; but If you have persistent heartache that just won’t go away, no one will ever look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have a chronic cough, your doctor will x-ray your chest; but If unremitting panic attacks are ruining your life, no one will ever look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have double vision, your doctor will scan your brain; but If you are hallucinating, no one will look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have seizures, your doctor will scan your brain; but If you are tortured by past traumatic events, no one will scan your brain. That is unacceptable.
If you have a gunshot wound, your doctor will order an MRI of the affected area; but If you want to shoot yourself, no one will look at your brain. That is unacceptable.
Looking at the brain for complex psychiatric patients has changed everything we do for those we serve. A long time ago I realized no one really wants to see a psychiatrist. No one wants to be labeled as defective or abnormal; But everyone wants a better brain."
What if mental health was
really brain health?
Over the past three decades Amen Clinics have built the world’s largest database of brain SPECT scans, which can be used to better understand ourselves and to create more effective treatments, so individuals and families can get the help they deserve.
Why SPECT Imaging?
A study titled “Specific Ways Brain SPECT Imaging Enhances Clinical Psychiatric Practice” was published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, an authoritative peer-reviewed periodical containing timely information of a multidisciplinary nature for clinicians and other professionals in the drug abuse field.
The study revealed how brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging can help clinicians more accurately diagnose and treat a wide variety of brain conditions by looking at the organ responsible for the decision-making, behaviors and overall cognitive functioning.
Co-authored by Dr. Amen, Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D. and Joseph Annibali, M.D., the study asked seven board certified psychiatrists to evaluate 109 patients’ files—without the SPECT images—and give their professional diagnosis and recommended treatment.
After they saw the SPECT scans:
1. 79% of the diagnosis and/or treatment would have been different.
2. 22% of the patients showed unexpected brain injury and toxicity.
3. 60% showed new targets for medication or supplements.
What SPECT Tells Us
The SPECT images help the clinician understand where the brain is not functioning properly so they can give a more accurate diagnosis and treatment offering. In our study, the use of SPECT neuroimaging modified the diagnostic thinking and led clinicians to make different, specific treatment recommendations in a high percentage of cases.
Brain SPECT imaging is a form of neuroimaging that reveals the underlying physiology of emotional, behavioral and cognitive disorders such as:
• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADD
• Memory loss
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Addiction
• Autism
• Seizures
• Strokes
• Toxic exposure
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
There are many ways to optimize your brain and your mind. You CAN create a brain healthy life by learning how to love and care for your brain.