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HBOT
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Brain SPECT
Relationship to HBOTX
Quantitative Imaging of Brain Function
J. Michael Uszler, M.D.
Santa Monica - UCLA Medical Center
In the last few years Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy
(HBOTX)
has be,,-Un to have a new therapeutic endpoint - the improvement
of long-term brain disorders. Brain SPECT imaging has begun to
be utilized in evaluating the effects of that therapy.
Imaging of the brain is divided into two classes: anatomic and
functional. The two types of anatomic imaging are CT and NM -
"Cat" scanning and magnetic resonance imaging. The question
these address is: dose the brain's physical structure Icok
normal or abnormal. But of greater importance is: however the
structure app(-Iars, is it functioniniz? If so, is the observed
function normal or different than normal.
Functional imaging is known as SPECT and PET - single photon
emission computed Tomography and positron emission Tomography.
These show brain function because the distribution of an
injected radioactive tracer is directly related to functions
such as brain blood flow and/or cellular activity. Both of these
technologies have been well developed and used routinely over
the last fifteen years
(Another form of functional imaging that is being studied for
possible future use is fNM - "functional" NM. There are
presently no experience of using fNM with HBOTX.)
Brain SPECT imaging is the only routinely used imaging
evaluation of HBOTX. This is because it is the only one that is
widely available outside of medical university settings, and
because shows blood flow and function in both normal and
abnormal functional states. Its basic decision factor is to
differentiate normal from abnormal tracer distribution on the
scan pictures. This work adequately with localized abnormality
such as a stroke, but much less well with what we understand to
be more diffuse and variable abnormalities such as near-drowning
episodes, toxic substance exposure and long-term neurologic
conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism.
Thus the need exists for a quantitative method in which
computer-aided analysis can categorize the variability of
abnormality and develop standards and databases for normality
and specific abnormalities. This makes possible an international
registration and database comparison mechanism. I have been
using such a method for the last six years to assist in
differentiating subtle, true abnormalities, to express brain
functional finding in quantitative color-coded images that are
easier for others. to understand, and compare brain SPECT
changes with HBOT.
A special thank you to the countless Drs and children whom have
made this research possible. All information contained within
these pages are the sole property of the Dr.s and experts that
have spent the countless hours researching for OUR CHILDREN.
Please read each page of content and please contact your local
congressmen and appropriate government officials today. Thank
you.
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