Recently someone inquired about DaT Scans on my TikTok account so I thought it would be good to share the info here.
I had a DaT Scan test done soon after I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease by my neurologist. I welcomed this test as it would be further confirmation of my diagnosis. When you are diagnosed with something like Parkinson’s Disease, you want to be sure that it is Parkinson’s Disease.
What is a DaT Scan?
For anyone unfamiliar, a Dat Scan is a medical imaging procedure that looks at a specific part of the brain to see how much dopamine is available. Measuring the level of dopamine transporters (DAT) in the brain can determine the level of dopamine in the brain. Doctors can diagnose Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders by measuring the level of dopamine. If there’s less dopamine than expected, it can indicate a problem with the brain’s nerve cells that use this chemical. The lack of dopamine in the brain causes symptoms common in Parkinson’s.
The Process
The process involves getting injected with a radioactive fluid called Ioflupane. The loflupane enters your bloodstream and it attaches itself to dopamine transmitters. After several hours, a SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) scan is performed, providing images of the brain. The Ioflupane enables dopamine transmitters to be seen in the brain, ultimately showing how much dopamine is in the brain.
The results of a DaT Scan can be attributed to multiple conditions, so the DaT Scan is not a definitive test for Parkinson’s. When coupled with a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s, it can act as a confirmation of that diagnosis.
The Result
As you might have guessed, the results of my DaT Scan indicated that I had Parkinson’s. While it did not tell me anything I didn’t know, it pushed me closer to acceptance.
Highly recommended for people wanting to claim disability.
I too had a DaT Scan after my first neurologist started that I probably have Parkinson’s. After a positive result she determined that I truly do have PD.
I would suggest that if you’re going to file for disability that you have this done. I was told that this is a helpful test to get your claim to pass. The test may be costly and not all insurance companies are willing to pay. Thankfully mine did.
Along with my scan and other documentation of symptoms I was able to get my claim to pass with no problems the first time around. No legal help needed. So I highly recommended if one is able to do so.
I use my scan date as my official PD diagnosis day because even though I knew, it was the final check for me to expect it.
My current neurologist works for the VA (Veterans’s Administration), she ordered my DaTScan to confirm her diagnosis, I also use that date as the day I was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
This is from my DatScan report 8 years ago. I don’t know what any of it means, but every doctor that has seen it says it’s pretty definitive.
This imaging shows bilateral globular tracer activity localizing to the caudate region at each striatum. At both of these regions tracer activity is within normal limits when compared to age-matched Z scores. However with this there is bilaterally abnormal diminished tracer activity at the putamen. On the left the Z score for this is -2.86; and on the right the Z score is -2.76. This results in global abnormal tracer at both striatum: Z score = -2.42 on the left and Z score = -2.25 on the right.
Impression: Abnormal exam with bilateral decreased tracer accumulation at the putamen giving the appearance of the loflupane at the striatum a “globular” appearance. This pattern is compatible with a parkinsonian syndrome.