A recent incident of The Kardashians Kim Kardashian shared some surprising news about her brain.
Discussing Kim's recent brain scan, her doctor identified “holes” on her brain scan that he said were related to “low activity.”
While this sounds incredibly sad and concerning, doctors and scientists are skeptical in regards to the technology used and its increasing commercialization.
I study brain health, including brain imaging to search for early signs of disease.
Here's what I feel in regards to the technology, whether it will possibly really find holes in our brains, and if we're getting these scans to examine for ourselves.
What can imaging really let you know?
Earlier this yr, Kim was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, or widened artery, after an MRI.
The type and extent of this aneurysm just isn't clear. And there doesn't appear to be a transparent connection between his aneurysm and this recent news.
But we do know that the newest announcement comes after a unique sort of imaging, often known as single-photon emission tomography (often known as Sample)
It involves injecting radioactive chemicals into the blood and using a special camera that produces 3D images of organs, including the brain. This sort of imaging was developed 1976 and was first utilized in the brain 1990.
SPECT scans will be used to trace and measure blood flow to organs, and are utilized by doctors to diagnose and guide treatment of conditions. Brain, heart and bones.
Although SPECT has some clinical use in limited circumstances, there isn't a good evidence for SPECT scans outside of those purposes.
Enter the world of celebrities and personal clinics
Clinic featured in a Kardashian episode Presentation
Sample to her clients, including the Kardashian-Jenners.
Widely promoted on social media, Spect images have mass appeal attributable to their aesthetically pleasing pastel colours, and claims that these scans will be used for any variety of diagnoses. Conditions. These include stress (as in Kim's case), Alzheimer's, ADHD, brain injury, eating disorders, sleep problems, anger and even marital problems.
But scientific evidence to support using SPECT as a diagnostic tool for a person Drfor , for , for , for , . The scientist And Former patient Scientifically criticizing the work of such clinics baseless and “Snake oil“.
Scans can potentially show changes Blood flowalthough these could also be common in situations. Can also cause bleeding It varies Depending on the region of the brain, the time of day, and even how relaxed an individual is.
Areas with reduced blood flow are described as “holes”, “dents” or “dings” on such SPECT scans.
In Kim's case, this reduced blood flow was interpreted as “less activity” within the brain. His doctor suggested that the frontal lobes of his brain weren't functioning as they need to attributable to chronic stress.
But there isn't a scientific evidence to link these changes in blood flow to emphasize or functional outcomes. In fact, there isn't a single technique with it Scientific assistance To relate changes in brain function to symptoms or outcomes for a person.
These scans will not be low cost
Doctors have Several concerns Asymptomatic people looking for SPECT as a diagnostic tool. First, individuals are injected with radioactive material for no clinical reason.
Patients may be treated, or really useful to take specific supplements, based on a diagnosis that's scientifically unfounded.
And because SPECT scans will not be recognized as medically mandatory, patients pay as much as $3,000 for SPECT scans, with dietary supplements costing extra.
Do I want such a scan?
Although imaging tools reminiscent of SPECT and MRI can indeed be used to diagnose many conditions, there isn't a medical need for healthy people to have them.
Such scans for healthy individuals are often described as “opportunistic,” which has a double meaning: They could potentially find something in someone who doesn't have symptoms, but at several thousand dollars a scan, they take advantage of people's health problems and might result in unnecessary use of the health care system.
It will be tempting to follow within the footsteps of the celebrities and seek diagnosis through popular and widely advertised scans. But it is vital to do not forget that the perfect medical care relies on solid scientific evidence, provided by experts who use best practice tools based on many years of research.