Brain Imaging Study Identifies Biological Differences Between PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Improved diagnosis could lead to improved treatment for more than 400,000 US military personnel and veterans been diagnosed with PTSD or TBI since 2001. Treatments for PTSD differs from those for TBI, and for this reason it is important to be able distinguish between the two conditions.

Theodore Henderson, MD, PhD, member of the research team, said, "The need for a diagnostic tool to reliably distinguish PTSD from TBI in Veteran populations is urgent. Prior attempts to use imaging studies such as CT scans, MRIs, and conventional X-rays have been unsuccessful. This study uses Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) that looks directly at cerebral blood flow and indirectly at brain activity. SPECT brain imaging, a nuclear medicine technique, can show areas of over-activity and under-activity in the brain and can illustrate changes in brain function with treatment."

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