Patient FAQs

Click on a SPECT question below.

1. What is SPECT imaging (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)?
2. What is the procedure?
3. What is the injection and are there side effects?
4. Does the injected substance you use contain iodine?
5. Is there radiation involved and how safe is it? How safe is it for children?
6. Are there any risks from the radiation you get from a SPECT scan?
7. Do I have to be off medication and for how long?
8. Why do I need two scans?
9. What is your success rate?
10. Where else can I get a scan?
11. Will I be seeing Dr. Amen personally for the evaluation?
12. What is the overall cost for treatment at the Amen Clinics?
13. Does insurance cover this? How can I find out?
14. Do you offer any discounts, payment plans, or financial assistance?
15. Do you offer phone consultations prior to scheduling an appointment?
16. Do I need a referral from my doctor?
17. How can I purchase Dr. Amen’s books, videos, audio tapes and accredited courses?
18. Where is Dr. Amen Speaking?
19. How can I register for a conference?
20. How can I schedule Dr. Amen to speak for our organization?
21. How many days do I need to be at the clinic?

1. What is SPECT imaging (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)?

Brain SPECT imaging is a nuclear medicine procedure that evaluates cerebral blood flow. SPECT is easy to understand. It evaluates areas of the brain that work well, areas of the brain that work too hard, and areas of the brain that do not work hard enough. The information from the scans, along with a detailed clinical history, helps us understand the underlying brain patterns associated with our patients’ problems and helps to pinpoint the right treatment to balance brain function.

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2. What is the procedure?

You will be placed in a quiet room and a small IV line will be inserted into your arm. For the concentration study, you will take a 15 minute computerized test of attention and focus. Three or four minutes into performing the test, the imaging solution will be injected through the IV, and then you will complete the test. For the baseline study you will be instructed to sit quietly. Several minutes later the imaging solution will be injected through the IV. After the injection, you will lie on the imaging table and the SPECT camera will slowly rotate around your head taking images of brain blood flow (you are not placed inside a tube). The time on the table is approximately 18 minutes.

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3. What is the injection and are there side effects?

Since a SPECT scan is a nuclear medicine procedure, it requires the injection of a very small amount of a radioisotope through a small needle inserted into a vein in the arm. The medicine we inject is not a dye & therefore people typically do not have allergic responses to it.

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4. Does the injected substance you use contain iodine?

No it does not. It is not a dye or a contrast agent such as those used in CT or MRI. It is a radioactive tracer (radiotracer or tracer). This is a very important distinction:

In CT the terms, dye or contrast agent refers to an injected compound which typically contains iodine and is used to enhance an X-ray or CT image. Severe reactions can occur in some patients who receive these iodine-containing substances. A history of bad reactions to CT dyes, however, does not mean that a patient will have a bad reaction to the tracers we use. Adverse reactions to the radiotracers used at the Amen Clinics are so rare, that hospital Nuclear Medicine departments typically do not stock the drugs given to patients with a history of reactions to iodine-based contrast agents.

The radiotracers injected at the Amen Clinics do contain a substance called Methylene Blue. This substance is a dye but is not the same kind of dye as the iodine-containing X-ray and CT contrast agents. It functions as a preservative and helps the radiotracer stay in its compounded form. There are no serious allergic or adverse effects that we know of, associated with the administration of Methylene Blue.

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5. Is there radiation involved and how safe is it? How safe is it for children?

The amount of radiation exposure from one brain SPECT scan is comparable to 1/2 to 2/3 of a brain CAT (CT) scan (about 0.7 to 1.0 rem). According to the Health Physics Society, the radiation dose of two SPECT scans is well below the cut off level (10 rem) for any potential or observable health risks. Furthermore, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research data does not show children to have any increased cancer risks from low level radiation.

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6. Are there any risks from the radiation you get from a SPECT scan?

Minimal, if any. The radiation from a SPECT scan is considered a standard medical procedure. Last year in the U.S. there were nearly 20 million nuclear medicine procedures done on children and adults. Please see http://interactive.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=5574&RPID=10 for a thorough discussion.

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7. Do I have to be off medication and for how long?

Not necessarily. In an ideal world, we would prefer to scan patients on as little medication as possible, if not off completely. But we know that is not always possible, practical or desirable depending on the clinical circumstances. It is important for you to check with your referring professional before deciding what to do with your medication before the scan. In general, we prefer that stimulant medications be discontinued four days prior to the first scan. Other medications take longer to get out of the body, so the length of time to be off medications is variable. You should consult with your prescribing physician to determine whether you should discontinue or decrease your medication and what manner is safest for you. We also often scan people on their current medication regimens to see the effect they are having on brain function.

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8. Why do I need two scans?

Two scans will allow us to evaluate the changes in the brain from the resting state to a concentration state.

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9. What is your success rate?

Our success rate varies with each case. We see children from 2 years old to elderly adults. Therefore, the question is variable and depends on many factors. Many people get better because we have more to offer than traditional psychiatrists who never look at the brain like we do. In addition to clinical history we look at the underlying physiology, taken together (history and scans) we are much more thorough in diagnoses and more targeted in treatment plans. In a nutshell, Dr. Amen, says he believes that patients get better faster because we have more information.

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10. Where else can I get a scan?

SPECT is a fairly common diagnostic procedure. However, in order for the scan data to be compatible with our computers and analysis methods, they need to be acquired on a Picker Prism 3000 camera. To our knowledge, this camera system is in use at UCLA, Harbor General Hospital, UC, Irvine and Oregon Health Sciences University. We believe we are the best place in the world to have this study done, because we have a database of over 50,000 scans and have been doing this work daily for 15 years. Should your circumstances not allow you to have the scan performed at one of our facilities, you should make sure that the scan you are getting, and the method in which the data is sent to us, are compatible with our system.

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11. Will I be seeing Dr. Amen personally for the evaluation?

Dr. Amen is currently working in research, training well-qualified psychiatrists and also educating the public and professional communities on his findings. Dr. Amen spends a considerable amount of time reading SPECT scans but is not normally available to meet with patients.

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12. What is the overall cost for treatment at the Amen Clinics?

The overall cost for treatment is $3,375.00.

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13. Does insurance cover this? How can I find out?

Some Insurance Companies will reimburse for the procedures, however some do not. We can provide you with the procedure codes and information they will need in order to determine if you will be reimbursed.

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14. Do you offer any discounts, payment plans, or financial assistance?

We offer a 10% family discount for each additional immediate family member that schedules an appointment with our clinics.

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15. Do you offer phone consultations prior to scheduling an appointment?

We do offer phone consultations prior to booking appointments if you are unsure if the clinic is the right option for you to pursue. You may consult with a Physician’s Assistant for up to 30 minutes over the phone for a charge of $175.00.

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16. Do I need a referral from my doctor?

No, you don’t need a referral. If you would like to investigate your need for SPECT imaging, you may contact the clinic directly. Our intake coordinators discuss your situation with you and if deemed necessary a full evaluation with scans will be performed. All new intakes are reviewed by a staff professional for medical necessity.

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17. How can I purchase Dr. Amen’s books, videos, audio tapes and accredited courses?

Please visit our online store at MindworksPress.com for all of Dr. Amen books, videos, audio tapes, and accredited courses.

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18. Where is Dr. Amen Speaking?

Dr. Amen’s complete speaking schedule including conferences and accredited course seminars can be viewed on our website here.

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19. How can I register for a conference?

Conference and seminar registration can be completed online or by calling our seminar department at (949)266-3715. Please check Dr. Amen’s schedule for conference and seminar dates. Links to the online registration form are available from the schedule page.

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20. How can I schedule Dr. Amen to speak for our organization?

Please contact our seminar department at (949)266-3749 to inquire about Dr. Amen’s availability and fees for scheduling. View samples of Dr. Amen’s keynotes and seminars and download Dr. Amen’s press kit here.

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21. How many days do I need to be at the clinic?

You should allow for at least 4 days for the complete evaluation process. In some cases that time can be shortened.

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