Dr. Zamboni's SPECT and PECT research

[Cece]

http://www.isnvd.org/index.php?site=4th/program#content

9:05 - 9:20 am: SPECT and PECT perfusion changes after CCSVI restoration - Paolo Zamboni

Objectives:
•Define use of cerebral SPECT and PECT in relation to restricted venous outflow through the internal jugular vein
•Describe qualitative and quantitative criteria for assessment of cerebral venous outflow normalized to inflow in vein collaterals and in the major venous routes.
•Discuss modality of SPECT and PECT quantification respect to normal data base.
•Show and discuss results of a pilot study showing post op changes

This looks exciting! How are SPECT and PECT measured? This is looking at perfusion changes after jugular angioplasty with no mention of multiple sclerosis or any neurological disorder, only looking at the effect of the procedure on perfusion?

[cheerleader]

Interesting, Cece! Should be a great presentation. All I know about SPECT scans is from reading Dr. Amen's books---he uses the scans because they show blood flow in the brain (which would certainly be helpful)---but there is a lot of controversy over his use of them to diagnose psychological disorders. Oh, we just can't escape "controversy", huh?

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr- ... ect-scans/

cheer

[Sharon]

Joan and Cece -

Dr. Zamboni's presentation on SPECT imaging is especially timely for me personally. In January, while I am in Miami for the ISET Conference, I will have the opportunity to be imaged with SPECT.

The team I will be working with in Florida is using SPECT imaging to measure traumatic brain injury. Diffuse brain injuries, which occur in the MS population, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16230320 are hard to detect by MRI or CT but, they are noticeable in metabolic imaging i.e. SPECT. The brain SPECT imaging looks at blood flow and the activity of the brain. It can help to identify if trauma is present and which brain system or systems are affected. Once identified, therapies can be designed. It sounds as if Dr. Zamboni is using the SPECT image as a measurement for CCSVI treatment.

It will be interesting to have this new information.

Sharon

[cheerleader]

Joan and Cece -

Dr. Zamboni's presentation on SPECT imaging is especially timely for me personally. In January, while I am in Miami for the ISET Conference, I will have the opportunity to be imaged with SPECT.

The team I will be working with in Florida is using SPECT imaging to measure traumatic brain injury. Diffuse brain injuries, which occur in the MS population, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16230320 are hard to detect by MRI or CT but, they are noticeable in metabolic imaging i.e. SPECT. The brain SPECT imaging looks at blood flow and the activity of the brain. It can help to identify if trauma is present and which brain system or systems are affected. Once identified, therapies can be designed. It sounds as if Dr. Zamboni is using the SPECT image as a measurement for CCSVI treatment.

It will be interesting to have this new information.

Sharon

Thanks for letting us know, Sharon!
It's a very exciting line of research, and will be a good before and after measure of perfusion. Sounds like it's even more specific than BOLD or fMRI. Keep us posted!
cheer

[MrSuccess]

.... using imaging to measure TRAUMATIC brain injury ... is this not already established by MRI ? Location of lessions are often associated with TBI.

How they can measure blood volume from point A to point B ..... with accuracy ... will be a significant step forward in CCSVI treatment.

MrSuccess

[Sharon]

I believe the difference is between focal and diffuse brain damage. MRI is great for focal imaging, but the SPECT shows diffuse damage more distinctly. I will be imaged by a triple head SPECT which is more precise than the single. Diffuse damage is more prevalent in secondary progressive - focal in relapsing remitting.
Blood flow is imaged - I am unsure about blood volume. So much to learn...

[1eye]

I believe the difference is between focal and diffuse brain damage. MRI is great for focal imaging, but the SPECT shows diffuse damage more distinctly. I will be imaged by a triple head SPECT which is more precise than the single. Diffuse damage is more prevalent in secondary progressive - focal in relapsing remitting.
Blood flow is imaged - I am unsure about blood volume. So much to learn...

Flow, if it's volumetric flow, adds the dimension of time to volume: if not for it being volume per
second, it would be linear only, that is, velocity, or rate of movement of, say, a single blood cell. You could have a volume of blood that is not moving at all, for instance in a donation bag. I think volume is often a characteristic of the container, i.e., blood vessels, where flow often describes the thing contained, i.e., blood.

I think flow rate is even more important if oxygen is being exchanged, as it is in blood flow that is diffuse, that is, taking place spread out over a large, fine group of parallel vessels (capillaries). Oxygen is needed also by larger vessels, to nourish the endothelium and energize the smooth muscles.

The endothelium is like capillaries in that it is a single layer of cells, while capillaries often are only large enough for allow passage of a single cell. The scales are similar.

differentiated cells do proliferate in vivo, generally via mitosis. Cancerous cells proliferate excessively, with no control from the cell cycle. Due to these facts stem cells aren't the only cell type to proliferate. With regards to the potency of the cells, zygotic cells are totipotent - meaning they can differentiate into any of the somatic cells of the organism. Adult stem cells however have lost some of their potency and are Pluripotent- They can only differentiate into the three germ layers, Ectoderm, mesoderm (if present) and Endoderm.

- http://www.biology-online.org/biology-f ... rm#p152805

...which, if true, means that anyone trying to rely on adult stem cells to undo the ravages of "MS", may be barking up a dead tree, or flogging the wrong horse, or something....

[NHE]

differentiated cells do proliferate in vivo, generally via mitosis. Cancerous cells proliferate excessively, with no control from the cell cycle. Due to these facts stem cells aren't the only cell type to proliferate. With regards to the potency of the cells, zygotic cells are totipotent - meaning they can differentiate into any of the somatic cells of the organism. Adult stem cells however have lost some of their potency and are Pluripotent- They can only differentiate into the three germ layers, Ectoderm, mesoderm (if present) and Endoderm.

- http://www.biology-online.org/biology-f ... rm#p152805

...which, if true, means that anyone trying to rely on adult stem cells to undo the ravages of "MS", may be barking up a dead tree, or flogging the wrong horse, or something....

Both the skin and nervous system are derived from the ectoderm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_layer That's why things that are good for the brain, like omega-3 fatty acids, are also good for the skin.

[Cece]

I believe the difference is between focal and diffuse brain damage. MRI is great for focal imaging, but the SPECT shows diffuse damage more distinctly. I will be imaged by a triple head SPECT which is more precise than the single. Diffuse damage is more prevalent in secondary progressive - focal in relapsing remitting.
Blood flow is imaged - I am unsure about blood volume. So much to learn...

Good luck with the SPECT scan, I hope it shows a healthy healing brain.
It sounds as if we should be tracked with SPECT instead of MRIs, or with both, but not MRI only. Or maybe there is little point to tracking if it would not change the treatment protocol? Personally I like having all information possible.

[Sharon]

Cece wrote:

Personally I like having all information possible

Exactly, Cece -- this is new information. I garnered new information when I was scanned with the upright MRI - it showed CSF flow abnormalities and spinal issues which were not shown on the recumbant MRI - this led to treatment with Dr. Scott Rosa. The SPECT will provide additional information.

I will keep you updated -- hope to share the images with Dr. Zamboni at the ISNVD.

Sharon

[Cece]

http://www.isnvdconference.org/program/ ... -book.html

SPECT and PECT Perfusion Changes after CCSVI Restoration
Paolo Zamboni, M.D.

Background: A number of MRI studies clearly show hypoperfusion of brain parenchyma in different neurodegenerative disorders, including MS. However, the contribution of cerebral venous return to brain reduced perfusion was not previously studied by the means of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and/or positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: Pilot study 1. Five (5) patients affected by chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) proven by combination of Doppler venous ultrasound and catheter venography, associated either with Huntington disease or multiple sclerosis (MS) underwent venous angioplasty of the extracranial and extravertebral veins. Cerebral metabolism and perfusion were preoperatively investigated by the means of PET, followed by Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) analysis. This is a software developed to analyze statistically brain activity recorded by several techniques including PET, fMRI and more. To perform SPM, a pre-processing step was performed for the subsequent actual processing analysis. PET and SPM analysis were performed respectively the day of the procedure and 24 h after the procedure. Pilot study 2. Fifteen (15) patients with complex extracranial primary venous obstruction were studied both by Doppler venous ultrasound with quantification of cerebral venous return and MRV. They underwent to open surgical reconstruction. Brain perfusion was performed the day preceding the operation and 30 days later.

Results: Pilot study 1. SPM analysis comparing pre and post procedural brain activity showed significant improvement especially in the cerebral cortex. Pilot study 2. All the selected patients showed significant hypoperfusion of brain parenchyma as compared to Neurogam-SPM data base of normality. Analysis of SPECT changes by comparing pre and post operative semiquantitative analysis are still in course.
Conclusions: both pilot evaluations confirm reduced perfusion in CCSVI condition of the brain with associated neurodegenerative disorders. Improvement of perfusion following venous outflow restoration seems to indicate impairment of venous outflow haemodynamics as a contributor to reduced parenchymal perfusion.

[Rogan]

Here you have it.

Dr. Zamboni is getting ahold of some really high tech imaging equipment. No more ultrasound....and as he has found....

Conclusions: both pilot evaluations confirm reduced perfusion in CCSVI condition of the brain with associated neurodegenerative disorders. Improvement of perfusion following venous outflow restoration seems to indicate impairment of venous outflow haemodynamics as a contributor to reduced parenchymal perfusion.

Improvement of perfusion following venous outflow restoration

This is why folks post venoplasty on their brain veins feel better. They are better. They have better perfusion.

Please someone give him the Nobel Prize. They grant prizes in Physiology or Medicine for much smaller contributions

[Sharon]

Rogan wrote:

Dr. Zamboni is getting ahold of some really high tech imaging equipment. No more ultrasound....and as he has found....

Actually Rogan, the SPECT imaging does not replace the ultrasound imaging. Two different types of diagnostics measuring separate pathologies. The doppler ultrasound is used to measure blood flow, and/or reflux in the juggler veins. The SPECT scan provides information about function of the organ being imaged; i.e. in the study by Zamboni it is blood flow (perfusion) in the brain. Blood flow in the brain can be affected by not only CCSVI but also TBI, chemical imbalances, and tumors.
For more information you might like to read: http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/42/2/259.full.pdf "Brain SPECT in Clinical Practice: Part One - Perfusion"

SPECT is sensitive in detecting impairment of regional cerebral function when CT or MRI shows only nonspecific findings such as cerebral atrophy.

Recently, I had a SPECT scan. I will post a summary of the experience and of my scan in the next few weeks.

Sharon

[Cece]

Recently, I had a SPECT scan. I will post a summary of the experience and of my scan in the next few weeks.

Very interested in this. I don't understand SPECT well at all and, if Dr. Zamboni is presenting on it, it's undoubtedly worth understanding.

[NHE]

Recently, I had a SPECT scan. I will post a summary of the experience and of my scan in the next few weeks.

Very interested in this. I don't understand SPECT well at all and, if Dr. Zamboni is presenting on it, it's undoubtedly worth understanding.

You might want to read "Change your brain, Change your life" by Daniel Amen. It provides some good background on SPECT imaging.