PET scans may improve brain injury diagnosis

ConclusionThis is a valuable diagnostic study that tested how accurate PET and fMRI imaging are at distinguishing between different levels of conscious state and helping to predict recovery. Diagnostic assessments are traditionally made using bedside clinical tests – but as the researchers say, judging the level of awareness in people with severe brain damage can be difficult.In particular, the researchers wanted to see whether the scans could accurately distinguish between people with “unresponsive wakefulness syndrome” and “minimally conscious state”, as distinguishing between these two states can have important therapeutic and ethical implications. The study found that PET scanning in particular had a high accuracy for diagnosing MCS and for predicting recovery time. It’s particularly noteworthy that PET scans detected brain activity in some people who had been diagnosed as unresponsive by the standard Coma Recovery Scale test, and two-thirds of these people subsequently recovered consciousness.However, the study has some limitations, including its small size, some missing data and possible differences between people who were and were not lost to follow-up. As the researchers acknowledge, their study used a complex method of statistical analysis, so there is a risk of false results. At a practical level, these specialist types of imaging techniques are expensive and complicated to set up, so could have resource implications. Overall, the findings suggest tha...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Neurology Source Type: news