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Neuroimaging Study Finds Traumatic Brain Injury Can Be Identified

July 6, 2015

Researchers have discovered differences between traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, despite the fact that both conditions feature similar symptoms, according to a new study published last week in medical journal PLOS One.

The ability to classify TBI and PTSD individually means medical professionals can apply better and more targeted treatments, says Dr. Theodore Henderson, co-author of the study. However, he warns that even though the two conditions have similar symptoms, they have very different treatments, with some PTSD treatments possibly harmful for TBI sufferers.

Comparing more than 20,000 brain scans, the researchers relied on single photon emission computed tomography to ascertain neurological differences between TBI and PTSD. Study accuracy was 100 percent, the author claims, adding that the results point to SPECT as a useful biomarker for differentiating TBI and PTSD.

TBI and PTSD symptoms include anxiety, depressed, mood dysregulation, irritability and other cognitive breakdowns. — Jason Scott