Biology-based diagnosis
So, so, so important:
Brain Scan Offers First Biological Test in Diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
I cannot imagine how different it would be if we could see brain disorders in a clearer way. For diagnosis, for measuring the effectiveness of treatment, and to clear away the public's misconceptions of mental illness!
PTSD is brain damage, and it deserves to be seen as such. Too many people suffer without appropriate treatment and support because people think it isn't real or that it represents weakness or a choice!
Brain Scan Offers First Biological Test in Diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
I cannot imagine how different it would be if we could see brain disorders in a clearer way. For diagnosis, for measuring the effectiveness of treatment, and to clear away the public's misconceptions of mental illness!
PTSD is brain damage, and it deserves to be seen as such. Too many people suffer without appropriate treatment and support because people think it isn't real or that it represents weakness or a choice!
Pretty neat stuff. Anyone doing this kind of imaging with eating disorders?
ReplyDeleteNot that I know of with this particular tool, but yes with others. I'm optimistic that if these tools gain currency in other fields it will benefit EDs eventually.
ReplyDeleteImagine if we could say "Oh, her scan indicates she has Grade Two Anorexia, with a risk of purging during the latter stages of refeeding. We recommend starting with X treatment and adding Y if necessary. Let's go over your options and schedule another scan for a month from now."
Ah, what a dream world, Laura! And while we are dreaming, how about if our children get an annual brain scan along with their height, weight, vision and hearing checks? That way, we can also say, "Oh, yes, recovery has progressed so that she is in the normal range for her age now, but as you can see from her pre-anorexia scan, she had an enormous empathy region and her anxiety area is still inflamed. We need to do more X and less Y for a while." How I wish my daughter had had a baseline brain scan done before she stopped eating...!
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