Brain imaging may show PTSD, TBI or both

High-tech testing for war vets with post-traumatic stress disorder
'Magnetic stethoscope' will search for brain injuries in soldiers
By Kristen Kridel Chicago Tribune reporter
11:13 PM CDT, June 25, 2008
An Elk Grove Village hospital plans to use brain-imaging technology to determine whether combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also might suffer from undiagnosed traumatic brain injuries.

A "magnetic stethoscope" primarily used to study epilepsy and autism will help determine how brain function is altered by PTSD, officials at Alexian Brothers Medical Center said Wednesday.

The MEG technology—short for magnetoencephalography—allows doctors to read magnetic signals produced by the brain when exposed to visual or auditory stimuli, said Jeffrey Lewine, director of the Alexian Center for Brain Research.Those signals appear to differ in a veteran who only has PTSD compared with one who has PTSD and traumatic brain injury, Lewine said.

The combination can be hard to diagnose but critically affect proper treatment, according to Lewine. "You have to know what you're treating to get the right treatment," Lewine said.

"Behavioral testing doesn't always distinguish the different components. We need to look at the biology."
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