Cleveland Clinic Florida is offering a new diagnostic testing tool to identify neurodegenerative movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Often called a DaT Scan, this tool uses SPECT scan imaging along with a radiopharmaceutical dye to detect dopamine transporters (DaT) in the brain. It was approved by the FDA in 2011, and Cleveland Clinic Florida is one of few facilities offering the diagnostic test.This revolutionary tool will enable us to definitively confirm a diagnosis and differentiate essential tremors, such as the involuntary shaking of the hands, head and face, from tremors due to Parkinsonism.
Parkinson’s disease and other Parkinsonian syndromes are neurodegenerative movement disorders that affect nerve cells in the basal ganglia, the area of the brain responsible for movement. When the body is healthy, the cells in this part of the brain produce dopamine, a chemical that controls emotion and helps the body move smoothly and fluidly. Parkinsonian syndromes cause these cells to die more quickly, leading to a lack of dopamine in the brain.
Parkinson’s disease afflicts nearly one million Americans, with an additional 50,000 to 60,000 new cases each year. It is usually identified by four main components: slowness, stiffness, mild tremors, and a shuffling or unsteady gait. However, these identifiers can be subtle and easily mistaken for other problems, including essential tremors, anxiety and the normal aging process. Because of this, Parkinsonian syndromes have been difficult to diagnose accurately.
In the past, the physician might have felt uncertain about the diagnosis of Parkinson’s and recommended a follow up in three months. This test allows physicians to bypass the “wait-and-see” process, making it possible to confirm the diagnosis earlier. In addition, because we can now determine the amount of dopamine cell loss, we also are able to better track the progression of the disease over time.
Since first offering DaT Scan testing in the beginning of this year, I’ve been able to contradict previous diagnoses of patients who were told they had Parkinson’s but in fact did not have the disease. To see their relief has been very gratifying.
Equally rewarding has been the ability to finally give patients a definitive answer. In many cases, they find it empowering. With an accurate diagnosis, we can prescribe medications to alleviate their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
The DaT Scan is a great advancement in the diagnosis of movement disorders. If you would like to refer a patient for testing, please have them contact Cleveland Clinic Florida at 877-463-2010.
