Common Myths And Misconceptions About SPECT

Myth: SPECT is experimental.

Fact: This is a common “knee jerk” response of the uninformed. In our experience, when ordered properly, SPECT is covered by more than 50% of insurance companies, including Medicare. SPECT has had procedure codes for insurance reimbursement for many years. Many academic institutions, including UCLA and UC, Irvine, perform SPECT for neuropsychiatric indications. The 1999 procedure guidelines of the Society of Nuclear Medicine state that the standard indications for SPECT include the evaluation of patients with suspected dementia and brain trauma, both of which are common in psychiatry.

Myth: There is not enough research on imaging.

Fact: On www.amenclinic.com you can read thousands of scientific abstracts on imaging in psychiatry. For example, there are 210 studies on 13,261 subjects for dementia, 92 studies on 1,988 subjects for ADHD, 96 studies on 3,145 subjects for brain injury, and 114 studies on 2,645 subjects for substance abuse.

Myth: Scans are dangerous.

Fact: The radiation of a SPECT study is 2/3rd a routine head CT scan. Last year, there were nearly 20 million nuclear medicine procedures performed in the U.S. There is no evidence of harm from SPECT study.

Myth: SPECT has poor resolution. It is a “poor man’s PET study”

Fact: With multi-headed cameras, clinical SPECT has the same resolution as PET with considerably lower cost, greater insurance coverage, and greater availability.

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