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Is computed tomography still useful as a neuroimaging tool in psychiatry?
Pritha Das1, Jim Lagopoulos, Oddbjørn Sæther
1University of Sydney, Northern Clinical School, Academic Discipline of Psychological Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
Background:
Computed tomography (CT) has played a pivotal role in psychiatry from its inception; however with the advent of other high-resolution noninvasive neuroimaging techniques such as MRI, the field has gone through a dramatic transformation.
Objective:
This article will explore the current role of CT in psychiatry.
Methods:
An extensive search of the published literature (1970 - 2008) was conducted, employing a number of databases and terms relevant to CT and imaging.
Results/Conclusion:
At present CT is primarily used as a screening tool to exclude intracranial pathology. This is partly because it is widely available and less expensive than other imaging modalities. CT is unable to provide region-specific information like MRI and this has restricted its use in disorders in which functional disturbances are suspected, however it remains the preferred mode of investigation where gross structural abnormalities are suspected.
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