Evaluation of ^99mT_C-ECD SPECT/CT Brain Imaging with Scenium Analysis in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Objectives Aim was to explore the usefulness of ^99mT_C-ECD SPECT/CT brain imaging with Scenium application to assess cortical and subcortical perfusion changes in the brains of patients with varying levels of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Methods Thirty-eight GAD patients and ten healthy controls were performed a ^99mT_C-ECD SPECT/CT scan with Scenium analysis. Groups were formed and based on their responses to questionnaires of 7-item anxiety scale (GAD-7).

Results Groups were formed according to the levels of anxiety severity, mild (11), moderate (16) and severe (11). Individuals in the GAD groups had significantly lower blood flow than the healthy controls in the right superior frontal gyrus, medial, right precuneus, right putamen, bilateral paracentral lobule, bilateral supplementary motor area (P˂0.05). Mild group had significantly greater blood flow than the control group in the right olfactory. Moderate group had significantly lower blood flow than the control group in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus medial orbital and left supplementary motor area, but greater in the right olfactory. Individuals in the severe group had lower blood flow than the control group in the left frontal lobe, right putamen, bilateral paracentral lobule, bilateral precuneus, left parietal lobe, bilateral precentral, right postcentral, left rolandic operculum, bilateral supplementary motor area and left central region. There were statistical differences in the right middle frontal gyrus orbital part and left paracentral among these three groups. Spearman correlated analysis showed that the perfusion in the right middle cingulate and paracingulate gyri, bilateral precuneus and left thalamus of the brain had the tendency of negatively correlation with the level of GAD.

Conclusions Patients with higher scores in GAD-7 had more numbers of brain perfusion changes than that with fewer scores. Scenium software provides quantitative measurements for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of GAD.

Research Support Authors listed for this abstract reported no relevant financial disclosures.