what does the brain PET scan mean?
 

All i can you it was an FDG Pet scan for juvenile dementia. I havge severe thinking problems and memory problems. All i can tell you from the scan was that i was given 429.0 MBq. My weight is 80kg. I was suprmemely nervous and had racing thoughts faster then i had in years and i didn't take my medicine the night before. The test came bt back normal with increased uptake in the basal ganglia.

What the heck does it mean seeing as no one cared to explain how much it rules out or looks for. Does that mean my brain is getting enough blood flow to my head? (while lying down, as i know im not when standing, POTS) How does it not show my brain dysfunction? My neurosurgeon didin't look at it and ust read the results.

The FDG PET scan is looking for metabolism in the brain. They look for two things. Active glucose metabolism and also areas where there is reduced or no active glucose metabolism. Apparently, there is an increase in metabolism in your basal ganglia but normal metabolism elsewhere.

The FDG stands for FluoroDeoxyGlucose. It gives off an imageable signal as it is metabolized.

So, yes, you do have normal blood flow to your head. The FDG PET would not tell why you have a change in blood flow when you first stand up.

Does that mean the damage is a cellular level or something? Something affecting the nerves? Cause it rules out mitochndrial or metabolic disorder right?

Would an FMRi be worth getting?

The only difference an fMRI would make is it can track how your brain functions during specific tasks. They give you mental tasks and watch to see what part of the brain lights up. They know what a normal brain will do and chart any differences.

fMRI is not a standard procedure yet. It is primarily used in research settings. Getting into a research study can be difficult. There is a web site that takes applicants for some of the studies. I don't remember where the web site is. maybe googling will find it.

I just googled fMRI and research and found that Columbia University in New York is doing clinical work. There are quite a few centers doing research and possible clinical work.

The question is this: If they find something, what can they do to help you with it? Finding the fMRI center that has some understanding of problems like yours would likely be important.