Posted by BarbaraCat on January 10, 2002, at 23:56:00
In reply to Re: Old School nailed it » manowar, posted by bob on January 10, 2002, at 23:15:36
Yes, you bring up a good point in that potentially there is nothing more available than the current treatment. However, the possibility exists that something else would show up, more information gained, more fine-tuning accomplished. My issue is what can we, as responsible and proactive patients, do to accelerate this process if we feel that it's in our best interest? Like many of us, I've been on the meds merry go round for too many years to just sit back and be a nice little patient when there just might be better diagnostic methods. All of us on meds are research subjects. Well, then, let's start doing some serious research. The tools are out there, the science is waiting, so what are we waiting for?
> I'm not so convinced about SPECT imaging, or any other imaging to help in out *treatment* of our diseases. For example, say a person consults a psychiatrist complaining of classic OCD behavior and depression. Then the patient is referred for a SPECT scan and it is confirmed that, indeed, the specific areas of the brain involved in those aberrations are indeed not functioning properly. How would that change the treatment? What if the person was refractory to the meds, then what would the scan bring to the table? I agree that mapping out the specific areas associated with behavioral/psychological problems is a necessary part of the evolution of our treatment of these conditions, but it doesn't change what tools are currently at our disposal.
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:88953
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020110/msgs/89681.html