More than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects brain function. Alzheimer’s patients commonly suffer from dementia and require long term care to help aid with impaired memory and orientation dysfunctions such as concentration, proper judgment, personality changes, and impaired motor skills.
Though there is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, treatment for symptoms combined with the professional support can make a patient live a more comfortable and productive life.
In order to better diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s in your patient, you may order brain imaging tests such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography/CT (PET/CT).
Procedures
MRIMRI
uses a combination of radio waves and a magnetic field to obtain
remarkably detailed images of the brain. MRI images of the brain are clearer and more detailed
than other imaging methods, enabling the detection of abnormalities
that might be obscured by bone on a CT or x-ray.
PET/CT
A
Positron Emission Tomography/CT test provides anatomical detail, such
as size or location of a mass, and metabolic detail, such as cellular
activity of a mass. Inland Imaging’s PET/CT scanner is one of the most
powerful imaging tools available in our region.
In the News
PET scans may help assess presence of Alzheimer's-related brain plaques