CHICAGO –Thanks to a new diagnostic imaging technique,
physicians now have an objective test to evaluate patients for
parkinsonian syndromes, such as Parkinson's disease.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is among the first institutions
in the country to offer DaTscan™, the only FDA-approved imaging
agent for assessment of movement disorders. Until now, there
were no definitive tests to identify the disease, forcing
physicians to rely on clinical examinations to make a diagnosis.
This technology allows doctors to differentiate Parkinson's from
other movement disorders. "The scan by itself does not make the
diagnosis of Parkinson's but it allows us to identify patients
who have loss of dopamine, the major chemical responsible for
the symptoms, from those who have no dopamine deficiency," said
Tanya Simuni, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern Memorial and
director of Northwestern's Parkinson's Disease and Movement
Disorders Center. "This is a very important step in being able
to accurately identify and treat movemen