With all that can be ordered for an injured patient, it can be hard for attorneys and even medical professionals to best determine what diagnostic test will help determine a more reliable treatment plan. This is even more true when it comes to brain injuries, nerve damage and spinal issues.

CP Healthcare prides itself on being your one source to get your injured patients scheduled for their diagnostic exams. Diagnostic imaging is our thing as we’ve owned and operated imaging centers for more than 20 years. Whether it’s reporting, patient care or management, CP Healthcare is your expert in the field.

Our nationwide network speaks for itself as a single-source option to help you streamline your efforts. But, CP is also the leader in providing every option for you when it comes to giving you the test you need to properly diagnose so you can treat your patients. If there is a test you think can help your patient, we can get it scheduled and completed so your patient/client can begin treatment quicker.

We all know the MRI with and without and the CT scans, but what are some of these other tests that CP Healthcare has as options in its centers or network? Here are just a few of importance when it comes to the brain, nerves and spine issues.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

DTI is a magnetic resonance imaging technique that enables the measurement of the restricted diffusion of water in tissue in order to produce neural tract images instead of using this data solely for the purpose of assigning contrast or colors to pixels in a cross-sectional image. The advantage in layman’s terms is DTIs makes it possible to estimate the location, orientation, and anisotropy of the brain’s white matter tracts. By doing this, it allows a true view of damage to these areas. It was first offered in 1991 and has gained a lot of popularity among medical professions in the past 10 years. The applications and clinical use in personal injury and traumatic brain injury cases have increased as well in the past five years. A detailed clinical abstract from the National Center of Biotechnical Information on DTI can be found HERE.

NeuroQuant(R)

NeuroQuant is software that analyzes a brain MRI to improve the early detection and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. NeuroQuant precisely measures the brain atrophy (shrinkage) by measuring the hippocampus and other brain structures that usually shrink when a patient has certain conditions affecting the brain. NeuroQuant can help your doctor diagnose and follow the progression of certain diseases. NeuroQuant compares an MRI of a patient’s brain to a database, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, of people of the same age, sex and skull size who have healthy brains. This has been a game-changer when it comes to traumatic brain injury cases as there are more documented comparables from athletes and others who have declined in their mental capacity over time due to initial concussions. The database will only continue to improve helping make this a viable option in personal injury diagnosis and treatment.

Vertebral Motion Analysis (VMA)

VMA is a full-motion X-Ray that allows medical professionals to pinpoint the areas of damage and pain in patients. The VMA, unlike a common x-ray, takes hundreds of x-ray type pictures of your spine while you move to create a video. VMA provides more accurate motion measurements to help diagnose your unique condition and gives you an analysis of the spine in real-time. Studies have proven the VMA is 30% more reliable than traditional X-Rays.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a noninvasive test that records electrical patterns in your brain. The test is used to help diagnose conditions such as seizures, epilepsy, head injuries, dizziness, headaches, brain tumors, and sleeping problems. It can also be used to confirm brain death. A cost-effective way to help diagnose and treat in personal injury.

Electromyography (EMG)

Electromyography (EMG) is a diagnostic procedure that evaluates the health condition of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. These nerve cells are known as motor neurons. They transmit electrical signals that cause muscles to contract and relax. An EMG translates these signals into graphs or numbers, helping doctors to make a diagnosis. EMG results can help the doctor diagnose muscle disorders, nerve disorders, and disorders affecting the connection between nerves and muscles. A very vital test for some of our personal injury patients for sure.

These of course are but a few of the diagnostic tests CP Healthcare can schedule for you. You can request these exams ONLINE, by CALLING or by EMAIL.

If you have any questions on how more CP can help you and your patients/clients, please let me know directly and I’ll be glad to assist.

New MRI Concussion Test Reveal Impact on Future Settlements

MedScape and other medical journals report more than 2 million people suffer a concussion each year. The cost of treatments for these concussions total more than $20 million dollars.

Personal Injury Attorneys and Trial Lawyers have always done a tremendous job in helping clients recover their medical costs and suffering in traumatic brain injuries. They have even done well on lesser cases with just mild concussions that were diagnosed and treated.

But, as we have discovered with the many cases of CTE in the NFL and other sports, there is a silent killer that no one has ever been able to diagnose in these patients.

Until now.

For about 15 years there have been specific MRI test that doctors have used to help look at brain waves and moisture in the brain to help them determine the initial severity of injury. That’s 15 years of research to solidify these tests that have been received with mixed reviews. But now, with the advancements in technology, these tests are helping place markers for long term affects of concussions giving doctors ability to predict the future and better treat their patients.

But what about the attorneys?

Do they know these tests are a valid and vital necessity for their concussion cases?

Are they missing out on potential millions in settlements by not looking into the future with their medical providers?

The answer is a resounding yes!

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida has ruled that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) satisfies the Daubert standard for admissibility. Marsh v Celebrity Cruises, Inc., Case No. 1(17-CV-21097-UU.

In this case, the plaintiff was injured when she fell on a puddle of water on the Solarium floor of a Celebrity Cruise ship. As a result of the fall, plaintiff sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The plaintiff retained Gerald York, M.D., a board-certified neuro-radiologist and radiologist as an expert witness. Dr. York is the Director of TBI Imaging ARA/IA and a staff neuro-radiologist at the Providence Alaska Medical Center and also works as a consultant to the Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center. Additionally, he participated in the development of approved protocols for neuroimaging of the brain and contributed to the American College of Radiology’s Guidelines for Neuroimaging.

Dr. York reviewed the plaintiff’s DTI, in conjunction with a multitude of other tests and records, and concluded that plaintiff sustained a mild TBI as a result of the fall. The defendant, Celebrity Cruises, moved to bar Dr. York’s testimony, alleging that DTI was nothing more than “junk science” and that Dr. York’s DTI-based opinions that plaintiff sustained a mild TBI amounted to nothing more than an unsubstantiated speculation.

However, the court rejected Celebrity’s argument, finding that DTI findings and testimony has been deemed reliable and admitted by numerous courts across the country for almost a decade. It found that DTI had been subject to peer review and publication and is a generally accepted method for detecting TBI.

Additionally, the court also rejected Celebrity’s assertion that “the DTI’s acquisition of data is…affected by the field’s strength of the magnet and there is a lack of a standardized protocol for the acquisition and interpretation of DTI results.” The Court found that this issue did not make DTI technology “junk science” nor render that Dr. York’s opinions unreliable.

These specific protocols are no longer considered opinion or mythical tests for concussions of any degree.

Some states have already required these test as first line standard of care in youth athletes and anyone who appears to have sustained a concussion.

This is a game changer for the medical professional to give a sound diagnosis of future loss of cognitive function as well and for the attorneys who are fighting for their clients quality of life.

If you have questions about these tests or would like to learn more, you can reach me at ssmallwood@cypresspartners.com or 706.223.5375.

Ordering the Right Diagnostic Test for Brain, Nerve and Spine Injuries

New MRI Concussion Tests Reveal Impact on Future Settlements

New MRI Concussion Test Reveal Impact on Future Settlements