Brain SPECT Imaging
SPECT, or single photon emission computed tomography, is an imaging study that shows patterns of blood flow and activity in the brain. Where other scans show the brain's structure, SPECT shows how different regions are functioning.
What is a SPECT scan?
SPECT stands for single photon emission computed tomography. It is a nuclear medicine imaging study that has been used in medicine for decades.
A small amount of a radioactive tracer is injected, and the scanner tracks where that tracer travels in the brain. Because blood flow follows activity, the resulting images show patterns of blood flow and activity across different regions of the brain.
That makes it different from an MRI or a CT scan. Those show structure, meaning the physical shape of the brain and whether anything is visibly damaged. SPECT shows function, meaning how active different regions are.
What does a SPECT scan show?
Patterns of blood flow and activity across regions of the brain, including areas that appear more active or less active than expected.
A scan is one input rather than an answer on its own. Psychiatric diagnosis is made through clinical evaluation, which means history, symptoms, observation, and conversation. Where imaging is used, it adds information to that picture.
SPECT is also well established in neurology for a number of indications, including evaluating cerebrovascular disease, suspected dementia, localizing seizure activity, and assessing traumatic brain injury.
How does Dr. Amar Chakra use SPECT?
As one source of information alongside clinical evaluation.
In complex cases, imaging can surface something that reframes the question. Dr. Chakra has described cases where a scan pointed toward brain regions involved in behaviors that had previously been attributed entirely to ADHD, which changed how he approached the treatment plan.
Information from a scan gets weighed alongside everything else: history, symptoms, physical health, what has already been tried, and what has not worked. It is additive to the clinical picture.
Who might consider a SPECT scan?
It is worth a conversation for patients in situations like these:
- Complex presentations where symptoms do not fit neatly into one diagnosis
- Cases where multiple treatments have been tried without much result
- A history of head injury or concussion where the effects are unclear
- Situations where a physical or neurological factor may be contributing and needs to be considered
What about radiation?
A SPECT scan uses a small amount of a radioactive tracer, so it involves some radiation exposure. This is one reason the scan is used selectively rather than routinely.
Radiation exposure is a standard consideration in any nuclear medicine imaging, and it is part of the conversation before a scan is scheduled.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about whether imaging fits your situation?
Start with an evaluation and you can talk it through with Dr. Amar Chakra directly.