Psychiatric Symptoms May Result From Lyme Disease
- Tuesday, 17 April 2012
MANY PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS MAY RESULT FROM LYME DISEASE, SAYS JOSEPH ANNIBALI, M.D. FROM AMEN CLINICS
Dr. Annibali to Address Medical Community About How Brain SPECT Imaging Can Help Diagnose and Treat the Tricky, Pervasive Lyme Disease,Thursday, April 26 at 12:30pm
RESTON, VA (April 16, 2012) -- Undetected, Lyme disease takes hold and hides in the nervous system, especially in the brain, causing havoc to cognitive functions, often going diagnosed and treated incorrectly, says Joseph Annibali, M.D., chief psychiatrist at Amen Clinics in Reston, Virginia, close to Washington, DC.
Dr. Annibali is offering a FREE educational session for medical professionals on Thursday, April 26 from 12:30pm-1:30pm about how brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging assists with diagnosing Lyme disease. Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Caused by the bite of a deer tick that is infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) spirochete, Spring is the ideal time to catch Lyme disease, says Dr. Annibali. Ticks often survive the winter season and are lying in wait for us when we resume our outdoor activities.
Dr. Annibali also explains Lyme is difficult to diagnose because less that half of all Lyme patients ever notice a tick bite or develop the signature bulls-eye rash. As a result, many patients go untreated and develop psychiatric and/or neurological symptoms that are misdiagnosed and mistreated. In fact, untreated Lyme disease can mimic or cause virtually any kind of psychiatric, neurological, or medical symptoms.
Cognitive symptoms from Lyme disease may include memory and concentration impairments, ADHD-like symptoms, learning disabilities, language and speech abnormalities, OCD, crying spells, rages, depression/bipolar disorder, panic/anxiety disorders and other psychoses.
“The biggest challenge, if Lyme goes undetected, is that the infection remains with you essentially forever,” says Dr. Annibali. “However, with proper diagnoses and treatment, Lyme disease can typically be treated quite effectively. The sooner Lyme is diagnosed, the better.”
Amen Clinics is the world leader in applying brain SPECT imaging to clinical psychiatric practice, having conducted more than 72,000 brain SPECT scans. Their clinicians and researchers have published numerous clinical studies in peer-reviewed journals regarding the efficacy of SPECT in psychiatric care, including:
The Clinical Utility of Brain SPECT Imaging in Process Addictions, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, March, 2012
Brain SPECT Imaging in Complex Psychiatric Cases: An evidence-based, underutilized tool, Journal of Neuroimaging, July, 2011
Brain SPECT Imaging: A powerful, evidence-based tool for transforming clinical psychiatric practice, Minerva Psichiatrica, September, 2011
This event will be held at:
Amen Clinics-Reston
1875 Campus Commons Drive, Suite 205
Reston, Virginia 20191
April 26, 2012
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Lunch provided
FREE upon RSVP
To register for the Lyme disease “Lunch and Learn” session with Dr. Annibali,
please contact: Kristin Karlovich, kkarlovich@amenclinics.com, (703) 880-4019
Dr. Annibali, chief psychiatrist at Amen Clinics in Reston, has been Board Certified in both general and geriatric psychiatry and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Annibali’s professional interests include Lyme disease, ADHD, developmental difficulties, the integration of psychotherapy and neuroscience, and complementary and alternative treatment approaches, including functional medicine.
The Amen Clinics, Inc. (ACI) was founded in 1989 by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. in Newport Beach, California, and now has locations in San Francisco, Seattle, and Reston, Virginia (www.amenclinics.com). ACI specializes in using detailed clinical histories, brain imaging, and lab testing for innovative diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of problems, including weight issues, ADD, anxiety, depression, autistic spectrum disorders, and memory problems. Dr. Amen is a physician, child and adult psychiatrist, brain-imaging specialist, and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Amen has authored five New York Times bestsellers "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body," "Magnificent Mind At Any Age," "The Amen Solution" and his latest "Use Your Brain to Change Your Age."
