Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults. It can occur at any age, including childhood. It is a severe condition that may develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events. In the U.S. more than 60% of men and women experience at least one traumatic event in their life time. Women are more likely to develop PTSD then men.
Symptoms usually begin within 3 months of the incident but occasionally emerge years later. They must last more than one month to be considered PTSD. Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD include recurring memories or nightmares of the event, sleeplessness, loss of interest, feeling numb, anger and irritability. There are many ways PTSD can impact your everyday life- from alcohol and drug abuse to isolation and attempted suicide.
Military Veterans have had a great increase in PTSD in recent years. A study done at Georgia State University found that rates of PTSD increased significantly when troops were stationed in combat zones, had tours of longer than a year, experienced combat, or were injured.
Brain SPECT scan is a tool used to show the areas of the brain that may be damaged by psychological trauma or blast injury. By utilizing a baseline scan, this tool will help doctors assess treatment options and demonstrate how effective their chosen therapies are progressing and healing the brain. It also aids in showing if there are any other co-occurring or co-morbidity conditions. Brain SPECT images will also help families to gain a better understanding of PTSD through 3D visual reconstructed images of their brain.
Our staff and physicians are here to help. We believe that we can offer additional strategies for understanding your brain’s current functioning through the use of SPECT imaging–a functional brain imaging modality. If you have questions and would like to learn more or schedule an appointment contact us at 1-800-315-5739.