[Maven]

Does anyone see a psychiatrist or psychologist or other professional who has had them get an MRI or whatever to look at their brains to monitor what's going on with the illnesses and meds? Dr. Oz--I hate that I'm even mentioning him, but he has a point--says psychiatrists are the only doctors who never look at the organ they're treating. Dr. Phil--another one I hate to bring up--has had guests on his show undergo extensive examinations involving MRIs (the center this is usually done at costs $7500 just for a consultation; I checked into it!). None of my pdocs or psychologists have ever had me get a brain scan done. Just wondering what everyone else's experiences have been.

[Yoda]

My pdoc had me get a MRI and an EEG but it was more because I had intermittent aphasia than typical psych symptoms.

[beauflow]

I was suggested to get a ct-scan on my head by my ex-Therapist then the 2nd ex-psychologist.. But This mainly due to symptoms/sensations that I have with head aches or in my head in general, some times forgetfulness with head aches as well....

"it's not a tumor" .....

I just really can't afford another medical bill right now, I really can't....
And not to mention but neither one of them would write a note to my doctor asking for one either even though they wanted me to get one.

Though ya know, if there is something going around up in my noodle, it would explain some of the emotion/personality swings.... meaning some tumors are known to contribute to mood and personality changes....

In general- One day, when I hit the lotto- I will go get one (when I hit the lotto), because I want to see what my brain looks like... I do, I do!
Not to mention last August (2012) I had severe head aches with my eye a little droopy...... It cleared up in a few days, and I Did try to see my doc but she was booked, and I was asked-- "Is it really that bad? Is it enough to go to the hospital?", and I seriously did not know and I mentioned stress to the scheduling person (i think is a nurse)...then I was told, "yeah it probably isn't, just probably stress"

...... who knows.. maybe I should had? But i am alive today?... hopefully it was JUST STRESS!!!

But I do encourage people to get these done if they have decent insurance and the money to do it... (cuz lets face it insurance doesn't cover everything but some do a good job with helping out).

Originally Posted by Maven

Does anyone see a psychiatrist or psychologist or other professional who has had them get an MRI or whatever to look at their brains to monitor what's going on with the illnesses and meds? Dr. Oz--I hate that I'm even mentioning him, but he has a point--says psychiatrists are the only doctors who never look at the organ they're treating. Dr. Phil--another one I hate to bring up--has had guests on his show undergo extensive examinations involving MRIs (the center this is usually done at costs $7500 just for a consultation; I checked into it!). None of my pdocs or psychologists have ever had me get a brain scan done. Just wondering what everyone else's experiences have been.

An MRI usually costs about 500 dollars without insurance.

[beauflow]

Originally Posted by Illegal Toilet

An MRI usually costs about 500 dollars without insurance.

That may depend... where (as in location you are), where (as in location of the body) and what not....

My MRI i had with no dyes on my back was $2,000 and it was "pulling teeth" to get my insurance to help pay on it.

[furpal]

Hi Maven
I think it may depend on the type of depression or other diagnosis that you have. There is a new therapy called magnetic stimulation therapy for depression and people do have scans to see if they are suitable for that. Also for ECT I think that scans are done for that too. The cost involved in having a MRI can be enormous as some people I see have already posted. Doctors also do not like to expose people to too much radiation which might be a reason against having that type of scan. Medication effectiveness can be sometimes checked by a blood test rather than a scan and how people respond in mood, thinking and actions. I think on an individual case to ask ones doctor if follow up tests or scans would be helpful for providing more information to help in diagnosis or further treatment why/why not might be reassuring to you. Maybe its a good idea of yours but the doctors haven't thought of it yet! Hope you get the answers you seek from your doctor.

i've had MRI'S but for totally unrelated things..

[RedBarchetta]

I have had an MRI of the brain, but it was my neurologist that wanted it.

[elliemay]

What are they going to do? Magically look at it and say - ah yes, THAT'S the problem?

Maybe in some cases where there is a silent infarct or something, but right now we just don't know enough about the "mentally ill" brain versus the "normal brain"

There are research studies ongoing, but with sequestration and the gov't about to shut down, don't know how much longer that will last.

Maybe in 10 or 15 years if we are lucky.

[Silent Void]

I don't have one. Honest.

I think it might be helpful in some forms of MI but very limited. No offense but this Dr Oz sounds like an idiot. To me the brain and the mind are two separate things and there isn't a very good understanding of either one or how they function together in a normal or abnormal way. Every vertebrate and most invertebrates has a brain but not necessarily much of a mind so it's a lot more complicated than just physiological tissue.
I hear what you're saying though.

[newtus]

Originally Posted by George H.

I think it might be helpful in some forms of MI but very limited. No offense but this Dr Oz sounds like an idiot. To me the brain and the mind are two separate things and there isn't a very good understanding of either one or how they function together in a normal or abnormal way. Every vertebrate and most invertebrates has a brain but not necessarily much of a mind so it's a lot more complicated than just physiological tissue.
I hear what you're saying though.

You are right in one sense but there are many misdiagnoses of psychiatric problems when some contribute to physical brain problems or other things like allergies. NOT saying these are makn reasons though.

On another note though - the current psychiatric medical model for Schizophrenia says there is physical brain abnormalities. Though not everyone has these abnormalities who has Schizophrenia, some do. Not sure the percentage though. Some research suggests long term Antipsychotic use may also reduce grey matter in the brain that can be picked up on a scan.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by Maven

Does anyone see a psychiatrist or psychologist or other professional who has had them get an MRI or whatever to look at their brains to monitor what's going on with the illnesses and meds? Dr. Oz--I hate that I'm even mentioning him, but he has a point--says psychiatrists are the only doctors who never look at the organ they're treating. Dr. Phil--another one I hate to bring up--has had guests on his show undergo extensive examinations involving MRIs (the center this is usually done at costs $7500 just for a consultation; I checked into it!). None of my pdocs or psychologists have ever had me get a brain scan done. Just wondering what everyone else's experiences have been.

Maven, researchers are using PET scans to study electrical activity in the brain of folks with and without mental health problems. There is evidence of differences in electrical activity. PET scans would probably be more useful than MRIs because they show electrical activity. MRIs show structural differences. There a couple of problems with using either for diagnosis at this point. First, is that the research is still fairly new. Second is that is both PET scans and MRIs cost dearly. Insurance is not going to pay for something still in the experimental stages. And I don't know about you, but I can't afford to pay for it out of pocket.

As for Dr. Oz' statement, back before our current technology docs didn't have to crack open a patient's chest and look at the heart to know they had a heart attack. We currently lack the information and technology to diagnose MI by "looking at the brain."

[newtus]

Dr Oz had a psychiatrist on his show recently by the name of Dr Daniel Amen. i was surprised because ive already been watching his presentations on public television for a couple of years before.

dr amen does PET scans and tries to use it for correctly diagnosing psych problems. which a few people here are right you cant DIRECTLY diagnose psych problems with a brain scan BUT you can possibly RULE OUT psych problems IF there shows to be an abnormality in the brain.

the other problems lie in the cost and the availability of this to everyone with psychiatric problems.

[cool09]

EEG's are usually standard. PET scans are not even though it looks like they give a good amount of information about brain activity (with relation to thoughts, electrical activity). I don't think PET scans are used because of costs and insurance companies or maybe the FDA has not approved them for diagnostic treatment.

Some disorders have links to genetics. I think OCD patients have extra activity in the frontal lobe. Schizophrenia and other mood disorders point to problems in the hippocampus (which functions include memory, learning, and emotion). I'm sure you can find video of PET scan use and mental disorders on youtube or somewhere else.

[Maven]

I'm sorry, I think I gave everyone the wrong idea. I didn't mean to imply psychiatrists and psychologists were doing wrong by not asking for brain scans (and just for the record, when I said, "MRI," I meant it in a generic way; I didn't know the difference between MRIs and PETs and other ways of looking into the body), and I didn't mean I want one. I just wondered what others thought about if we should or not.

You all make good points, and I thank you. As I said, I'm not a fan of Dr. Oz, but I also realize that doesn't mean he's wrong. In the particular episode I was speaking of, he was showing how a normal brain was different in activity than an abnormal brain.

[Hellion]

looking at the brain would not tell them a whole lot, everyones brain is a little difference so while there are some traits that might hint towards certain disorders it might be impossible to tell for some. The brain is a complicated place and I find it unlikely they are going to get to the point where they can 'see' all the disorders physically and diagnose based on brain scans though it might help in some cases...perhaps the same symptoms have different causes or would look different depending on the individual.

Also I imagine its very expensive to get a brain scan.

[Open Eyes]

And there is this new technology called magnetoenchalogram.

Yahoo! Image Search Results for magnetoencephalography meg

We don't, that I know of, have brain scans done for typical diagnosing. I think at some point that will happen, but we are still learning about the brain and how to recognize the changes that take place with the various disorders.

They have been gaining ground slowly in the study of how PTSD affects the brain.

There are studies going on all the time. My mothers neurologist says, the language of the brain is there, an until we learn how to decifer this language there will be much we do not understand. We are working very hard at understanding this amazing thing we all have, the human brain.

OE