Brain Scan Imaging for Mental Disorders

Brain imaging, or neuroimaging scans, are being discussed and used more to help detect a number of medical disorders and illnesses. As far as mental disorders are concerned, neuroimaging can be considered in the research stages, as brain scans alone cannot officially diagnose someone with disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, or severe depression.

Usefulness of Neuroimaging Scans

Brain scans can detect things such as tumors, which can cause symptoms related to mental disorders such as depression. While the brain scan to detect ADHD was approved by the FDA, the tool is only used to help determine the disorder. A brain scan alone is not considered enough evidence, in and of itself, to detect any mental disorder.

It is human nature to want tangible evidence of an illness. For example, and x-ray can determine if a bone is broken or if you just have a sprain. That tangible evidence makes it clear how to treat the injury, and the patient knows the true results of the injury, because it is something he or she can physically see. A brain scan is no different in many people's eyes. They want to see tangible evidence that their schizophrenic brain looks different from a normal functioning brain. A psychiatric evaluation has many unknown factors, and relies on intangible evidence that the illness exists, even with sophisticated diagnostic tools and very experienced practitioners.

Brain scans do show tissue and blood vessels in the brain. Used with psychiatric diagnostic tests, doctors can use brain scans to help determine treatment options. Researchers can use neuroimaging to determine if medications are having any effect on brain tissue or blood vessels, and of course rule out any brain damage, cancer, or the existence of a brain tumor. As for medications, research is beginning to reveal how changes in biological pathways in the brain are either effective or non-effective by their use. This can help improve mental health treatment options.

Precautions of Using Neuroimaging Scans

At this time, a brain scan alone cannot diagnose any mental illness or detect your risk of getting a mental illness in the future, although scientists are currently conducting research studies on the differences between brains of people without mental illnesses compared to people with mental illnesses to learn more about them.

Multiple symptoms can receive multiple diagnoses, and brain imaging research has not gotten as far as predicting specific disorders. For example, it difficult to determine the difference between a schizophrenic versus a bipolar brain, because of multiple overlapping symptoms. Additionally, while researchers have been able to detect differences in people who have had a mental illness for several years, early detection remains to be seen. So, using a neuroimaging scan to diagnose someone with a mental illness is certainly not something you can do alone without the use of reliable cognitive and behavioral psychiatric diagnostics.

Neuroimaging does use radiation, which is a health risk to consider. Therefore, they should only be used when absolutely necessary to rule out such things as a brain tumor. It is also a very costly health procedure, which may not be fully covered by your health insurance, especially if it is not declared a medical necessity by your doctor.

Summary

While neuroimaging research is being conducted and looks promising for helping determine or rule out mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, among other mental illnesses; at this stage in the game, brain scans alone cannot pinpoint a certain disorder or risk of getting a mental illness. Brain scans should be used with caution, and only if your medical doctor needs to rule out other issues such as a brain tumor or other biological factors related to your symptoms.