Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2001, at 12:10:47
In reply to Re: adderall update neuropsychological tests, posted by manowar on November 28, 2001, at 9:36:23
>
>..... Unfortunately it can be very difficult to find a doctor that uses SPECT. I decided to go to the Amen clinic in California. That clinic is the only one that I knew of that specializes in using SPECT to help diagnose and to evaluate mental disorders. I read Amen’s book a couple years ago called “Change your Brain, Change your Life”. He shows images of patients’ scans along with their case histories. What he has found is that mental disorders are fairly predictable depending on how certain parts of the brain appear to be functioning. To me it makes perfect sense. A lot more sense than the idea that the brain is a just a sack of chemicals that need to be balanced. In depression, what he refers to as the “deep limbic” area of the brain (which contains the thalamus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus and deep temporal lobes) tend to over function and the left prefrontal cortex tends to under function. With ADD, during concentration the left prefrontal cortex shuts down, which explains why that when people with ADD try to concentrate they often can’t. He has a good site – www.brainplace.com. I also found that I had other functioning problems too, that I never even suspected. But that is exactly why I went to the clinic anyway, was to see if there were other underlining problems that explained why I have been so “treatment resistant” over the past several years. I noticed that there have been a few people in Psychobabble in the past that have talked about him, and they were pretty skeptical of his work. I also suspected that his work was “junk science”, until I went to his clinic and had the procedure done. Now I would be his poster boy if he wanted. The scans really clarified what my problems were and a good game plan for treating them, not only with drugs, but aerobic exercise, better diet along with a couple dozen more ideas.Hi Tim,
You mentioned having cyclothymia and ADD (I have BPII and ADHD). Is Adderall XR and Wellbutrin the only meds you are taking-no mood stabilizers? If not, what rationale does your pdoc use for *not* needing them? Just curious,
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:84890
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011123/msgs/85401.html