PSY 634 PSY634 short paper 2 : Neuroimaging Techniques.docx- Snhu

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PSY 634 PSY634 short paper 2 : Neuroimaging Techniques.docx- Snhu

Neuroimaging is a set of tools that produce pictures, of the brain, also known as brains cans, and is extremely important for humans’ understanding of the nervous system There are currently two types of neuroimaging, structural and functional. Structural imaging creates a picture of the inside of the head, which includes bone, brain tissue,blood vessels, and fluid of the brain and spine (cerebrospinal fluid), while functional imaging looks at the brain’s activity by measuring blood flow, electrical impulses, or chemical activity (DNA Learning Center). According to Santosh (2000) neuroimaging in child psychiatry is a rapidly developing field and the number of different techniques being used is increasing rapidly.When taking part in neuroimaging research, the age of the pediatric participant taking part should strongly influence the research protocol for pediatric imaging.

PSY 634 PSY634 short paper 2 : Neuroimaging Techniques.docx- Snhu

The key to efficient and appropriate neuroimaging in children and adolescents is understanding the role imaging plays and what the limitations are. Computed Tomography (CT)utilizes radiation and should be reserved for children and adolescents for emergency evaluation and potentially catastrophic injury resulting from: “stroke, herniation, hemorrhage, hematoma,intracranial masses, increased intracranial pressure, or acute skull fracture” (O’ Malley, Richer,and Strawn, 2016). For children and adolescents, there has been recognition of the limit of exposure to radiation. As a result, most providers agree that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)should be used instead of CT, when appropriate. Especially since over the past several decades,MRI is increasingly available in most settings that are available to children and adolescents. MRI has advantages over CT and includes: “better spatial resolution, assessing multiple pathological processes, lack of exposure to radiation” (O’ Malley, Richer, and Strawn, 2016). Children and adolescents with ADHD may not need neuroimaging (O’ Malley, Richer, and Strawn, 2016).

PSY 634 PSY634 short paper 2 : Neuroimaging Techniques.docx- Snhu