Publication Date
5-2026
School
College of Arts and Sciences; School of Health Sciences
Major
Interdisciplinary Studies
Keywords
SPECT neuroimaging, psychiatric diagnosis, randomized controlled trial, diagnostic utility
Disciplines
Behavioral Medicine | Biological Psychology | Neurosciences | Psychiatry | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Carter, Kiley, "Evaluating SPECT Neuroimaging in Psychiatric Diagnosis: A Critical Review and Proposed Randomized Controlled Study" (2026). Senior Honors Theses. 1577.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1577
Abstract
Mental illness affects a substantial proportion of adults in the United States, yet psychiatric diagnosis remains subject to diagnostic variability. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a neuroimaging technique that measures cerebral blood flow and has been proposed as an adjunctive tool for psychiatric evaluation. Existing literature reports group-level perfusion patterns associated with certain psychiatric conditions, suggesting potential utility in diagnosing complex or treatment-resistant cases. However, critics of SPECT emphasize the absence of randomized controlled data demonstrating improved patient outcomes. To address this gap, a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing standard psychiatric care with SPECT-guided evaluation is proposed. The proposed trial tests the hypothesis that SPECT-guided psychiatric evaluation results in improved clinical outcomes compared to traditional evaluations.
Included in
Behavioral Medicine Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Neurosciences Commons, Psychiatry Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons
