Summary
The research is very preliminary, and there are still plenty of skeptics. Nevertheless, some Harvard scientists say they may have discovered that MRI scanners, used normally to study brain patterns, may have an unexpected use: they may be a treatment for depression. Researchers say they have noticed that "depressed" rats who are subjected to MRI scans tend to get better. And some doctors have said the MRI seems to work occasionally on patients with bi-polar disorder.
Original source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4341219.stm
Details
- Harvard Medical School researchers found MRI scanners, which take internal images of the body, can have the same effect as standard anti-depressants.
- The team employed a rarely-used type of scan known as EP-MRSI which tends to be used for brain scans.
- But UK experts said they were sceptical about the findings and said more research was needed.
- The team found rats experiencing stress and exhibiting helplessness - the rat equivalent of despair - recovered significantly when exposed to EP-MRSI, the journal Biological Psychiatry reported.
- The scientists carried out the study after doctors reported similar effects in human patients with bipolar disorder.
- Lead researcher Dr Bruce Cohen, a psychiatrist at the McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, which is affiliated to Harvard Medical School, said the findings had the potential to revolutionise depression treatment.
- "The rats behaved as if they had received an anti-depressant.
- "That's why the implications of this work have the potential to be so profound."
- But William Carlezon, who also took part in the study, added it could also mean that some forms of MRI could be damaging to patients.
- "Renewed caution is warranted when high-speed MRI is used to diagnose or study disorders involving the brain.
- "People assume when they are getting an MRI that nothing is happening, that you are simply getting a picture of the brain.
- "But in actuality the body is being exposed to magnetic and electrical fields.
- "They may cause other effects we don't understand yet."
- But consultant psychiatrist Cosmo Hallstrom, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the report should be treated with caution.
- "Not many rats are like patients so we have to be careful when we interpret findings based on animal models.
Related Articles
• Aluminum in Medication Patches Causes Severe Skin Burns During MRI Scans
• The ADHD Scam and the Mass Drugging of Schoolchildren (Transcript)
• Questions Over Accuracy of MRI in Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis (press release)
 |
Popular Topics:
MRI, Depression, MRI scans, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury |
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
 Email this article to a friend
 Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/005843_MRI_depression_MRI_scans.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
 Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
 Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
Fidozac: Antidepressant Drugs for Dogs
 New Warfare
 When pharmacists tell the truth
 Medical Quackery
 |
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|
Printable Version
