Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) has added advanced technology that will differentiate between essential tremor and parkinsonian syndromes (among other conditions). DaTscan is a radioactive injection into the patient’s bloodstream to help take pictures of areas of the brain with a special camera called a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) camera.

This injection clarifies dopamine transporters (DaT) on an image, allowing providers to more accurately diagnose conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, drug-induced parkinsonism, vascular parkinsonism, psychogenic parkinsonism, corticobasal degeneration, essential tremor, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, dementia with Lewy bodies and dystonic tremor.

DaTscan is the first and only FDA-approved visual adjunct imaging agent used to aid in the diagnosis of the above conditions with DaT visualization and SPECT brain imaging. This service is only offered by physician referral and is conducted at BVH.

“Our dedication to remaining updated on the latest medical technologies and techniques is exemplified by the introduction of DaTscan to BVHS,” said Jill Jaynes, director of imaging services at BVHS. “With DaTscan, we will continue providing our patients with exceptional care and accurate diagnoses.”

For more information, speak with your physician about whether DaTscan is right for you.