Dat Scan

[dmariel]

Is a dat scan always correct? Thank you

[qazwsx11]

Correct about what? DAT doesn't diagnose Parkinson's alone. Here's more info pdf.org/en/science_news/rel...

Seems to be really accurate test.

Do you have symptoms?

[dmariel in reply to qazwsx11]

I have always had a tremor from when a young child, especially if i got nervous. Lately i feel funny when i walk. Dat scan came out positive but person who performed the test didn't seem to know what he was doing, took him forever to get me positioned. I guess i was just wishing it wasn't positive.

[qazwsx11 in reply to dmariel]

DAT can tell if you have Essential Tremor or Parkinsonism. Essential tremor is not related to dopamine hence DAT helps rule out some possible reasons and confirm the dopamine deficiency. Techs do not know much and are not supported to interpret. Talk to your neuro. Sorry to hear about that i felt exactly the same way about a year ago. No tremor but rigidly slowness and gate.

[Tmarsella]

DatScan has equivalent radiation of 500 individual x-rays. Another income generator for doctors using us as LAB RATS.

[dmariel]

I had one, had no idea about the radiation.

[PDDBSwife]

DAT scans simple measure the amount of dopamine in the brain. More specifically, dopamine is both a protein and a neurotransmitter. What DAT scans do is measure the amount of 'firing' going on between each; gauges the level. There are many other reasons besides Parkinson's for low dopamine production. medlicker.com/789-low-dopam...

[Marcomando]

Ok let's correct a couple of the statements above...

In the UK if you have what appear to be Parkinson's symptoms eg gait issues, tremor, etc a consultant neurologist will probably refer you for a DAT scan which shows a slice through your brain and reveals the two areas of dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra. These should look like two commas or tadpoles if you like. What the DAT scan shows is the reduction in the normal size of those parts - commonly as in my case - starting with the loss of the tail. I have two dots rather than commas - well I still have a bit of tail on one side...

What it doesn't do is say Yes you have Parkinson's on its own - but if you've got the symptoms and the DAT scan shows the reduction well then Yes, you have Parkinson's.

Sorry and good luck, I guess we're all here paddling along in the same wobbly boat!

Marc

[gcorrell]

Not reliable unless your substantia nigra is relatively substantially impaired. It does not directly confirm/negate any other tremor or movement disorder. Not worth the high dose of radiation. I had one, and regret it.

[dmariel]

I had one and i regret it as well

[Lindylanka]

I have had two DAT scans, about 8 years apart. I have the symptoms of PD, am responsive to sinemet, very slow progression, and a family history of the same along the female line. Both my scans were negative, but I have no regrets. Have been treated with sinemet from the outset, have no tremor and minimal side effects. My neuro says that there can be dopamine issues further down the line to the substantia nigra that are not yet understood. The SN is where the positive scan results are detected. A 6% discrepancy was mentioned for results. I have seen studies that put a false negative statistic as high as 15% which I personally am sceptical of. Currently the only genuine dx occurs post mortem where both those diagnosed and undiagnosed are at variance with both clinical and DAT results, which is a bit baffling. The UK Brain Bank has been studying this for years. If you regret the expense of the scan in terms of cost and insurance then that is understandable, but so is the need to tighten up diagnosis as PWP are in for the long haul with such generally slow progression. Differentiating PD from other related but different conditions, once termed PD plus, like MSA, Lewy Body Disease, PSP, etc is also a factor as treatments neccessarily vary. Differentiating from Essential tremor is also a factor. Worrying about radiation is IMHO a far lesser issue. Being treated with dopamine replacement therapies is a heavy issue for doctors, and one they would not want to use on those who did not have PD or were not really responsive. In the long run also very expensive, and with side effects far greater that that of the scan.

[isis6361]

In some movement disiorders dat can be normal with abnormal clinical symptoms. It may take two days a year apart for the day to become abnormal. Such as in CBD. Usually with IPD data are abnormal. People with tremor may have essential tremor and not IPD. Therefore the dat will be normal

[dmariel]

Hi isis6361, what is CBD?

[TheGimba]

I can't even get one for my husband....Canada's health care system sucks for the most part. I guess they figure what's the point. Although it would be really comforting to get a diagnosis for a loved one who is shaking on the sofa with his eyes rolling up in his head with jerking in his face, slurring his words and staggering, just so that I would know whether he was having a stroke, and I would have less than a few hours to get him to emergency OR he just has Parkinsons and I can expect many years of suffering without the need for emergency care. Ahhh...to be a young again.

[dmariel]

I had a dat scan. Since then i learned that a neurologist should be able to diagnose parkinson's without one. I have heard that there is so much radiation with this test. I am sorry that i had it done.