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Please note the following requirements: A minimum of 150 words, scholarly written, APA formatted. A minimum of 2 references are required. Peer-reviewed scholarly resources should be no more than 5 years old. Example: professional, peer-reviewed publications or reports from resources such as CDC, IOM, AACN, etc. These should be written by professionals and scholars in the field. Websites are only scholarly if written by professionals and experts in the area. Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, for example. Websites such as Medscape, CDC, and TIGER Initiative are examples of scholarly sources.
Assignment: Describe various neuroimaging techniques that are useful in mental health and their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Sample paper:
There are a variety of neuroimaging techniques that can be useful in the mental health arena. The three major types include positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Modern imaging techniques played a primary role in the acceptance of psychology by scientists as psychologists were unable to accept or deny theories since etiologies were based on speculations. Neuroimaging is prevalently utilized to rule out any underlying organic brain disorders in the mental health field. In addition, it has allowed the differentiation between depression and schizophrenia when presenting with initial psychotic illness (Falkai et al., 2018).
The initial type of neuroimaging was the CT scan which can reveal insights and structural abnormalities of the brain in individuals diagnosed with mood disorders and schizophrenia in addition to neurological diseases. CT scans can provide insight on which area of the brain is involved to assist with the development and use of treatments such as deep brain stimulation. In addition, CT scans can rule out brain lesions or tumors as well as bleeds as ruling out underlying medical etiologies is necessary prior to a mental health diagnosis. Some studies have revealed evidence that anxiety is linked to a damaged frontal lobe found on neuroimaging (Gimbel, 2020). Advantage of a CT scan includes increased sensitivity of greater than 90% when diagnosing a brain tumor and tends to be the most accurate with detection of a tumor. It is a noninvasive study that does not elicit pain or discomfort. A disadvantage includes inability to provide detailed information about underlying structural etiologies. A study completed revealed CT scans uncovered structural brain abnormalities with initial psychosis (Jeenah & Moosa, 2022).
MRI is a form of neuroimaging utilizing a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to elicit images of bodily tissues and organs including the brain. An MRI can be useful in detecting tumors and damage caused from a stroke. It can distinguish between soft tissue, muscle, and fat. Disadvantages include the loud noise created by the MRI machine and taking place in small space which can affect individuals if they are sensitive to noises or have claustrophobia. Having an individual with any type of metal in the body will preclude them from being able to undergo an MRI. If the MRI is done with contrast this may create allergic reactions is some individuals. Brain imaging studies have assisted with research of many psychiatric disorders including ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression and has provided guidance for neurodevelopmental disorders (Anderson et al., 2019).
A PET scan is more sensitive than other imaging studies as it utilizes radioactive material to reveal diseases at a cellular level. It has been evidenced to have nearly 100% sensitivity and 62-100% specificity. PET has been utilized in the field of psychiatry to investigate pathophysiology and evaluate treatment response in addition to detecting Alzheimer’s disease and tumors. Disadvantages include a decreased accuracy in certain scenarios such as a slower growing tumor or tumors with decreased activity. Another disadvantage is exposure to radiation. PET has shown evidence in the ability to differentiate between psychosis subtypes and predict treatment effectiveness and outcomes (Coughlin et al., 2019).