Pet scans for mental disorders? is it possible for a pet scan to detect mental disorders like anxiety or depression?

PET : Pet is sometimes used in the evaluation of cognitive disorders such as dementia. Specifically, pet can be used to evaluate whether a person has alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia known as frontotemporal dementia (ftd). In alzheimer's disease, there is often a pattern of decreased activation in the temporal and parietal lobes, whereas in ftd, there is often a pattern of decreased activation in the frontal and temporal lobes. Pet is sometimes used to distinguish these so that further workup and treatment can be appropriately directed. While pet is not typically used to diagnose psychiatric conditions such as anxiety or depression, it is possible for these disorders to be detected on a pet scan performed for other reasons. For example, the decreased activation of the frontal and temporal lobes that is seen in frontotemporal dementia can also be produced by depression or alcoholism, and these factors must be considered when interpreting these scans.

NO: Positron emission tomography (pet scan) images activity or physiological processes, but it would in my opinion be of little use for the specific diagnosis of anxiety or depression per se; it can possibly show the severity of cognitive disorders like dementia or alzheimer's disease. This is a very important and emerging tool in neuroscience, but i think less appropriate for depression/anxiety.

Not usually: The standard drug for pet/ct, f-18 fdg, is a glucose analog that allows imaging of glucose metabolism (cell use of glucose as food). F-18 FDG is not specific for particular mental disorders. Scientists are working on new drugs all of the time, so do not give up hope. Amyvid is one of these drugs, used to look for evidence of alzheimer's disease.

PETs...: Pet scans of the brain can be performed for mental disorders using a variety of radio tracers. There are some changes on pet which can be seen in conditions such as depression however scans are usually not ordered for detecting anxiety or depression. They are often used to differentiate types of dementia. It is also important to note the medications that the patient is taking before scanning.