Can CT scans reveal nervous system dysfunction?

[JohnBoy2000]

My own personal hypothesis as to mental illness, be it depression or psychosis, is that emotionality, emotional process - can dictate nerve function.

Mood - would be a function of emotional process - and according to the psychological Thoughts-Emotions-Actions paradigm, thoughts may ultimately dictate emotions, and thus a dysfunctional thought process could lead to mental illness.

I guess that's how psychologists figure they can rectify thought patterns, and that's their treatment.


However - focus here is not mental illness - it's nerve function, which falls more squarely into the realm of neuroscience.

My question is - is cases of nerve dysfunction that may give rise to chronic fatigue that can be associated with psychological conditions, could such nerve dysfunction be brought about by physiological brain issues?

Whatever may show up in a CT scan?
Or an MRI?

Even if something shows up in such a scan, what would it be - and how would they even treat it?

Anyone experience or insights on CT scans?

 

[vecktor]

CT scans which are just clever x-rays which see differences in density, MRI which sees water and fat can only really see gross changes to morphology, if the issue is large enough to be seen by CT then it is already a significant organic brain change. There are CT scanners with super high resolution but they are not in hospitals.

The much rarer PET scan and fMRI can actually see overall nerve activity and localisation but not individual nerves. Brain morphology is far more fluid and adaptable than is generally realized.

Psychology is a cult with a track record that is roughly as good as expected by dart throwing monkeys. Your mileage may vary.

 

[JohnBoy2000]

CT scans which are just clever x-rays which see differences in density, MRI which sees water and fat can only really see gross changes to morphology, if the issue is large enough to be seen by CT then it is already a significant organic brain change. There are CT scanners with super high resolution but they are not in hospitals.

The much rarer PET scan and fMRI can actually see overall nerve activity and localisation but not individual nerves. Brain morphology is far more fluid and adaptable than is generally realized.

Psychology is a cult with a track record that is roughly as good as expected by dart throwing monkeys. Your mileage may vary.

If PET or fMRI were to reveal something out of the ordinary - I mean, from what I've read the standard treatment would be something along the lines of blood thinners to enhance circulation to the area.

Does that sound about right?

Precluding cancer here naturally.

Lesions.

What else could go wrong?

And in terms of determining a potential brain abnormality that could be a cause for chronic fatigue/nervous system related dysfunction - would PET or MRI be superior?

 

[sekio]

You have to keep in perspective what these scans are actually doing, they are really only useful as diagnostic tools to confirm major structural changes (CT/MRI) or gross dysfunction in uptake of glucose (18F-deoxyglucose PET) ... however just because you have abnormalities on a scan doesn't neccesarily correlate with behaviour (i.e. there can be some people with brain tumors who otherwise function normally, and likewise you can have a very depressed/psychotic/whatever person which has a seemingly normal brain in structure and function).

That said, at the very least CT/MRI are very useful in neurology consults, just don't expect a miracle.

 

[polymath]

And there are even this kind of extreme cases...

How the Brain Still Works When Half of It Is Missing

The brain has an amazing ability to adapt, as shown in a new study of people who'd had half their brain removed.

www.livescience.com

 

[JohnBoy2000]

You have to keep in perspective what these scans are actually doing, they are really only useful as diagnostic tools to confirm major structural changes (CT/MRI) or gross dysfunction in uptake of glucose (18F-deoxyglucose PET) ... however just because you have abnormalities on a scan doesn't neccesarily correlate with behaviour (i.e. there can be some people with brain tumors who otherwise function normally, and likewise you can have a very depressed/psychotic/whatever person which has a seemingly normal brain in structure and function).

That said, at the very least CT/MRI are very useful in neurology consults, just don't expect a miracle.

I suppose that's the other side to it.

Even if there is an abnormality - what's the potential treatment from there?

Regarding PET or (f)MRI - any insights on which is potentially superior?
I normally like researching these things but, my brain/nervous system is so fried recently, simply can't do it.