Chapter One
For Those Who Have Eyes, Let Them See: Images Into the Mind
* * *
What is SPECT? An acronym for single photon emission computerized tomography, it is a sophisticated nuclear medicine study that "looks" directly at cerebral blood flow and indirectly at brain activity (or metabolism). In this study, a radioactive isotope (which, as we will see, is akin to myriad beacons of energy or light) is bound to a substance that is readily taken up by the cells in the brain.
A small amount of this compound is injected into the patient's vein, where it runs through the bloodstream and is taken up by certain receptor sites in the brain. The radiation exposure is similar to that of a head CT or an abdomin ... read full excerpt from Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness ebook