DAT scan for Parkinsons disease usefulness and cost

@steve1956
I surely hope so! Don't ever give up! Be bold and always calm. God will bless you with a physician that will answer your questions. I suggest you write down what you want to ask. Keep notes as they help with memory and the anxiety that comes with all that may come your way. If it turns out to be Parkinsons..make sure you get in touch with the Parkinsons Association. Check your local YMCA for programs offered for you personally. My spouse and I went to a Parkinson workout three times a week until covid. We went back for another year after and it was difficult for my spouse. Good luck and God bless! 🫂

I recently had a dat scan and I’m not sure if the results are accurate. The shapes of caudate & Putamen are ok but the inside coloring differs. One side is very bright the other not bright. This is seen even more dramatically using the invert color tool. Does the Inside indicate loss of dopamine activity even if shape is ok

Does the lack of color inside the cell show a dopamine deficiency ?

I’m brand new to this forum and brand new to Possible PD. Does anyone have experience or knowledge of understanding dat scans? The shape of the cells is good but the inside color is very different what does that mean ?

Hi @emmit - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Wondering if you can give some background on why your doctor decided to do the DAT scan, so members here can have some context for your situation?

Here is what Mayo Clinic says about DAT scans: A specific single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scan called a dopamine transporter (DAT) scan. This can help support the suspicion that you have Parkinson's disease and help identify different types of tremor. But it is your symptoms and the results of your neurological exam that determine your diagnosis. Most people do not require a DAT scan.

This is taken from Parkinson's disease https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376062

I have found it helpful to have a doctor phone me or meet with me to review any scans, as my personal understanding of results online is limited. When my doctor found something they thought was a polyp removed at my first colonoscopy was actually a neuroendocrine tumor, her interpretation of the information plus her perspective on its implications were invaluable.

Has your doctor met with you in person or by phone to discuss the results of the scan and to answer your questions? If he or she already did so, might you send them a portal message with your additional questions, since they know your case and your scan results?

@lisalucier
Thanks for the response. I underwent a dat scan bc I have tremors. My tremors are right side only. Mainly had and arm. But also right leg but not as much.
The doctor did meet with me but he didn’t answer my question so I’m trying to get in with another doc to get another opinion.
My scan showed good shapes for caudate and putamen on both sides
HOWEVER the coloring one side is very bright rhe other side not bright at all.
The doc just chalked it up as well the shape is fine. When I asked about the inside of cells he didn’t answer.
So I’m wondering does or is the inside coloring another indication of dopamine deficiency ?

On a DAT scan, the “brightness” or intensity of the signal in the caudate and putamen reflects the amount of functioning dopamine transporters.
Normal shape of these regions is reassuring, but differences in brightness (with one side less bright than the other) can be significant.
Reduced brightness (or less intense coloring) typically indicates lower dopamine transporter activity in that area, which can be a sign of loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells.
Using the invert color tool may make these differences more visually dramatic, but the underlying meaning is the same: less signal usually means less dopamine activity. Even if the overall shape of the caudate and putamen looks normal, a decrease in brightness or asymmetry (one side much less bright) can still indicate early or mild loss of dopamine activity.
This pattern is sometimes seen in early Parkinson’s disease or other parkinsonian syndromes, where the loss of dopamine activity may start on one side. DAT scan results should always be combined with your symptoms and neurological exam findings for a diagnosis.
If your scan shows clear asymmetry or reduced signal on one side, it’s important to discuss this with your neurologist or the doctor who ordered the scan. They can correlate these findings with your clinical picture and decide if further evaluation or treatment is needed. Goodluck and prayers to you!

Thank you so much for this response it is very informative and helpful. I will be discussing with a neurologist.
Prayers to you as well

Can you have Parkinson’s Disease if your DATScan is normal? I have many of the Parkinson’s disease symptoms but the DATScan is normal.

I asked ChatGPT your question:

1. What a DaTscan actually measures
A DaTscan looks at dopamine transporter activity in a part of the brain called the Striatum.In classic Parkinson’s disease, dopamine-producing neurons gradually die, so the scan usually shows reduced dopamine uptake.
So normally:
• Abnormal DaTscan → supports Parkinson’s
• Normal DaTscan → suggests something else

But it isn’t perfect.