My dr has ordered a spect scan of brain at columbia, i'd like an fmri instead.can any dr order fmri?

FMRI hard to get: Most fmri machines, including those at columbia, are booked for months ahead by researchers, since they are preferred in doing experiments to spect. But a piecing together of spect, ct, mra, and MRI can give a doctor a very valid picture for clinical use.

FMRI: Any licensed physician may order an fmri. Unfortunately, insurance pre-certification can be difficult to obtain, even in cases where a more expensive examination is very useful or even necessary. If you are having trouble with precertification, notify your company's benefits manager of your difficulty.