Accelerated Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and Autism, with remote treatment options for CA patients. To learn more,
click here >>Accelerated Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and Autism, with remote treatment options for CA patients. To learn more,
click here >>Brain scans have been used to assess neurological conditions such as brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, and dementia, but they are also a useful tool for evaluating and treating neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and Autism.
While brain scans are not used as definitive diagnostic tools, they can and do provide valuable insights into brain functioning that doctors can use to identify parts or regions of the brain that are dysregulated, linked to symptoms, and in need of treatment.
There are several different types of brain scans available to help diagnose and treat ADHD, and two of the most commonly used scans for ADHD treatment are SPECT scans and qEEGs.
For more than 30 years, The Drake Institute has successfully used qEEG (Quantitative Electroencephalogram) scans for brain mapping. Brain mapping provides us with necessary information in evaluating patients for treatment of ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other anxiety disorders.
In this article we compare SPECT scans and qEEG scans to help you determine which type of scan you should choose when seeking help for ADHD.
For more information or to schedule a free consultation, contact The Drake institute today at 800-700-4233 or fill out the consultation form.
A qEEg brain scan is an advanced type of EEG (electroencephalography) that measures and analyzes electrical activity in the brain. qEEG scans are painless and noninvasive, only requiring sensors to be placed on the surface of the patient’s head.
qEEG scans can be used to create a “Brain Map”, or a visual representation of the distribution and power of brain wave frequencies as well as functional connectivity of brainwave activity across different regions of the brain. This lets clinicians see how the patient’s brain functions, and where there may be issues or problems in brainwave activity that need to be addressed via treatment.
At the Drake Institute, we use qEEG brain maps to help determine neurofeedback protocols, customize our approach to treatment, and ensure optimal results for our patients.
Patients with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and Autism can exhibit different brain wave patterns, which may appear as too many slow brainwaves or excessive fast brainwaves and abnormal functional connectivity. By recording and monitoring the electrical activity in the brain, clinicians can identify networks or regions of the brain that are dysregulated and linked to symptoms.
For example, patients with ADHD sometimes display elevated frontocentral theta activity during at-rest conditions, indicating “decreased cortical activity that may be associated with underarousal.” By identifying these areas of the brain that are affected by or displaying abnormal function, we customize our neurofeedback therapy protocols to target those specific areas and reduce unwanted symptoms.
qEEG scans are pain-free, non-invasive procedures. Similar to a cardiologist placing sensors on the chest to measure heart activity, patients undergoing qEEG testing will wear a cap with sensors attached, or have them applied directly to the scalp. Each sensor records brain activity in that area.
A qEEG generally takes about 30 minutes. Brain activity will be recorded with the patient’s eyes open and eyes closed for a few minutes each. The sensors capture brain activity during this time and transmit it to the computer for analysis. Images of brain wave activity are displayed on the computer monitor as colored patterns, or maps. These maps are compared to an FDA-approved database of normative brainwave activity to identify areas with abnormal patterns. Results of the initial qEEG test will be kept on file and used as a baseline guide for any neurofeedback therapy included in treatment protocols. Neurofeedback treatment is more effective when based on qEEG analysis.
No advanced preparation is required for qEEG scans, and the brain is not stimulated by the sensors in any way. It is simply recording brainwave activity no different than recording your body temperature with a thermometer.
A SPECT brain scan (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) is a nuclear imaging test that shows three dimensional images of blood flow in the brain.
With the use of a tracer (an injection with a small amount of radioactive substance similar to the levels used in a standard x-ray), a SPECT scan machine rotates around the patient collecting images of the brain. The machine detects gamma rays emitted by the tracer and data is delivered to the computer as images showing blood flow and metabolic activity in different regions of the brain. Highly active regions will be brighter with increased uptake of the tracer, while less-active regions will show less indication of the tracer.
As previously mentioned, patients with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions often have different brain activity patterns. Variations in blood flow to different regions of the brain can indicate biomarkers of ADHD and related disorders.
For example, in one clinical study, SPECT scans of participants with ADHD showed “increased perfusion in dorsal frontal cortices, while areas of decreased perfusion were noted in the orbitofrontal/inferior prefrontal cortices. SPECT scans during intellectual challenge also revealed decreased inferior prefrontal cortical perfusion.”
SPECT scan results have been used to determine if there are areas of abnormal blood flow or metabolic activity. Some physicians have used SPECT scans to make decisions on what medications to use for ADHD or mood disorders.
A typical SPECT scan of the brain takes approximately 20 minutes once in the machine. However, the tracer must be injected prior to the scan and takes time to absorb. Absorption time can vary from patient to patient, but usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
During the SPECT scan, patients lie on a table inside the scanning machine for imaging and may be asked to complete a series of tasks. The machine for SPECT scans can be a bit noisy and is restrictive to some patients who experience issues with claustrophobia.
The most commonly used tracers for SPECT scans are technetium-99m (Tc), iodine-123, and thallium-201. Depending on the isotope, the radiation dose can vary. Tc is often preferred in clinical applications for its lower radiation dose. It is also the preferred isotope for brain-related disorders because it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier to identify areas of increased brain activity and “metabolically deranged brain tissue” that may not be visible on conventional imaging.
The qEEG and the SPECT scan are functional neuroimaging tests. They are not analyzing the structural integrity of the brain as in a CT scan or MRI.
SPECT scans have dedicated proponents, but there are many skeptics as well. Due to their invasive nature, higher costs, and complexity, SPECT scans are used less frequently for clinical treatment of ADHD.
QEEG scans provide a direct measurement of instantaneous or real-time brain activity whereas SPECT Scans are indirect measurements of neuronal brain activity, using blood flow and metabolic activity as a secondary response to brain activity. SPECT scans measure activity averaged over a few minutes, rather than real-time, instantaneous activity like EEG.
The Drake Institute has seen how qEEG scans offer a series of other advantages over SPECT scans, including that they are noninvasive and do not require advanced preparation, injections, or confinement to scanning machines. QEEG scans are also significantly less expensive than SPECT scans, making them more accessible to a wider variety of patients.
While both SPECT scans and qEEG scans show visual representations of brain activity, qEEG scans are a superior clinical tool and we recommend them for patients seeking ADHD treatment because it can optimize the specificity of the treatment.
Over the last 40 years, the Drake Institute has clinically pioneered the use of advanced treatment technologies to treat ADHD and other brain-based medical disorders. Using a combination of brain map-guided neurofeedback and sometimes neurostimulation, we develop customized treatment protocols to address each patient's needs.
Drugs are never administered during ADHD treatment at Drake and we do not perform invasive procedures. Instead, the patient improves their own brain function, guided by visual and auditory feedback.
Individualized treatment plans are developed by first completing a qEEG brain map analysis for each patient. This non-invasive test uses sensors placed on the scalp to identify specific regions or networks of the brain that are dysregulated and linked to symptoms.
During neurofeedback sessions, sensors are again placed on the scalp to record and display instantaneous brainwave activity in real-time. The activity is visually displayed on a computer screen with simultaneous auditory feedback.
During neurofeedback therapy, the patient can see how their brain is working and learn to improve their brainwave activity by guiding it toward healthier, more functional brainwave patterns.
As an adjunct to neurofeedback, we sometimes use neurostimulation guided by qEEG brain map findings to gently stimulate the brain into healthier functional patterns. It is our experience that some patients benefit even more from neurofeedback when combined with neurostimulation. We find this to be particularly helpful for lower-functioning children on the Autism Spectrum.
Over the last forty years, Drake has helped thousands of patients with various disorders such as autism, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, insomnia, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and hypertension reduce or resolve their symptoms and thereby achieve a better quality of life. Call us at 1-800-700-4233 or fill out the free consultation form to get started.
If you or a family member need help, please fill out our confidential online form
Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Seth's Story
Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Spanish News Feature
“David F. Velkoff, M.D., our Medical Director and co-founder, supervises all evaluation procedures and treatment programs. He is recognized as a physician pioneer in using biofeedback, qEEG brain mapping, neurofeedback, and neuromodulation in the treatment of ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and stress related illnesses including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Dr. David Velkoff earned his Master’s degree in Psychology from the California State University at Los Angeles in 1975, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta in 1976. This was followed by Dr. Velkoff completing his internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology with an elective in Neurology at the University of California Medical Center in Irvine. He then shifted his specialty to Neurophysical Medicine and received his initial training in biofeedback/neurofeedback in Neurophysical Medicine from the leading doctors in the world in biofeedback at the renown Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. In 1980, he co-founded the Drake Institute of Neurophysical Medicine. Seeking to better understand the link between illness and the mind, Dr. Velkoff served as the clinical director of an international research study on psychoneuroimmunology with the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This was a follow-up study to an earlier clinical collaborative effort with UCLA School of Medicine demonstrating how the Drake Institute's stress treatment resulted in improved immune functioning of natural killer cell activity. Dr. Velkoff served as one of the founding associate editors of the scientific publication, Journal of Neurotherapy. He has been an invited guest lecturer at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, UCLA, Cedars Sinai Medical Center-Thalians Mental Health Center, St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, and CHADD. He has been a medical consultant in Neurophysical Medicine to CNN, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Univision, and PBS.”
