Substance Abuse

How Brain SPECT Imaging Can Help with Substance Abuse

• Identify toxic exposure

• Help break denial

• Motivate treatment

• Help identify comorbid conditions

• Follow progress

• Use scans in prevention education

SPECT can add valuable information to the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of substance abusers. 3D SPECT images demonstrating brain damage from substance abuse may have a positive educational effect on deterring children and teenagers from drug abuse. SPECT studies may also help to break though the denial that often accompanies substance abuse. When patients are faced with abnormal SPECT images it may be hard for them to remain in denial. The effects of drug abuse are detected by SPECT, so that patients can see how their drug use has damaged their own brain function. SPECT might also help evaluate the presence of other neuropsychiatric illnesses (such as brain trauma) that contribute to drug abuse.

Short and long term substance abuse affects blood flow and metabolism, thus compromising central nervous system functioning. This seems to be true especially in the areas of the frontal lobes, which control executive functioning, and in the temporal lobes which are involved in memory, mood stability and auditory processing. Fortunately, some researchers report that the damage associated with chronic use of alcohol, nicotine, inhalants, and solvents is at least partially reversible upon abstinence.

Here’s an example:

Let me tell you about a man who came to our clinics to get his brain scanned “just to support his wife.” His wife was being seen for “panic attacks” and he thought he was fine. But when I looked at his 56 year old brain, it looked like that of an 80 year old man. Surprised, I asked him what he was doing to hurt his brain.

“Nothing,” he said.

“Really?” I said, “How much do you drink?”

“Not very much,” he replied.

“What’s not very much?” I said.

“Oh, maybe I have 3 to 4 drinks a day.”

“Everyday?” I said.

“Yeah, everyday. But its never a problem. I never get drunk. I have never gotten into trouble with it,” he said with anxiety.

“Why do you drink everyday?” I asked.

“Since my daughter went off to college I have this empty nest thing going on. The time I used to spend with her, I now spend at a local pub, seeing my friends. It’s a social time, kind of like the show Cheers.

“Well, you are poisoning yourself,” I said. “If you keep this up, pretty soon your brain is going to look a lot worse, and with that comes trouble with memory and everything else in your life.”

The man was shocked that his brain looked as bad as it did. As we talked, I could see he was beginning to develop “brain envy.” After learning about his brain it was clear he wanted his to be better.

I gave him a very specific brain healing plan that included stopping alcohol, regular exercise, mental exercise, vitamins and fish oil. He chose to take up the piano.

Four months later he wrote me saying he felt like he was mentally 30 years younger. His energy and memory were better, he felt smarter and more articulate. His work as a business consultant improved, and he started writing a book, which was something he had wanted to do five years earlier, but could never find the time or the motivation.

Healthy		Daily Drinking