A study of correlation between the values of the Amen Brain System Checklist and the cerebral blood flow values of SPECT scans of treatment resistant patients

The following study aimed to determine how well ratings on the Amen Brain System Checklist (ABSC) correlate with normed regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) counts in a group of treatment resistant patients processed on the Oasis Workstation (OWS), a rCBF data processing software created from age matched control participants without a history of encephalopathy. The first hypothesis was that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) section of the ABSC would have significant correlations with the standard deviations (SD) of Brodmann Area (BA) frontal lobe rCBF processed in the OWS. An additional hypothesis was that there was a significant relationship between the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) section of the ABSC and the rCBF of ACG BA processed by the OWS. Results indicated several significant correlations between the ABSC PFC sections numbered 1--18 and 19--28 and frontal lobe normed rCBF processed in the OWS. The results indicated no significant correlations between the ACG section of the ABSC and the rCBF of ACG BA processed in the OWS. Despite some significant correlations between the PFC section of the ABSC sections 1--18 and 19--28 and the SD of rCBF in BA frontal lobe areas processed in the OWS, the overall directional hypothesis was not supported. The ABSC PFC measure posed an opposite than expected directional value in many of the significant correlations. The ACG section also had opposite than expected directional correlation values. Therefore, it is suggested that future analysis may be performed with some overall design alterations prior to deeming the ABSC as a valid correlate with directional normed rCBF counts in the OWS.