SCPD/TBI Fund Committee
Margaret M. O’Neill Bldg., Suite 1
410 Federal Street
Dover, DE 19901

Dee,

I want to thank the DE Brain Injury Fund for paying for Jennifer Arisman's SPECT Scan at Amen Clinics. Jennifer had a Brainscope in August of 2020 that showed no physical damage to the brain. Her concussion doctor, Dr. Vincent Schaller, was at a loss as to why her symptoms were not improving and where to go from there. Early spring of 2021, he suggested that she get a SPECT Scan at Amen Clinics. He thought that there was trauma to the brain that was not being detected by the 7 electrodes used in the Brainscope. He thought that the trauma may also be deeper within the brain whereas the Brainscope is more of a surface level tool.

In mid-July Jennfer went to the Amen Clinic for her SPECT Scan and it did show brain trauma - a lot of brain trauma in multiple areas of her brain. Jennifer is the first patient that Dr. Schaller encountered that had a negative Brainscope but did have brain trauma. The scan was able to pinpoint the affected areas of the brain as detailed both in the Amen Clinic report and in the email from Dr. Schaller, and the symptoms as a result of trauma to those specific areas along with suggestions for therapies. Dr. Schaller has now redirected her entire course of treatment based on the results of the scan.

Jennifer was found to have ADD/ADHD not present before the accident and Dr. Schaller has prescribed that she start a stimulant to help her with that. Dr. Somners, Dr. Schaller and Dr. Norsworthy have all agreed that she would benefit from hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy, so the plan is to start with that. Jennifer has had constant fluid in her ears and shooting ear pain since the accident and she has been to 3 primary care doctors, Med Express twice and one ENT and no one has helped her. She is scheduled to see a second ENT tomorrow. She saw the hyperbaric oxygen chamber doctor Dr. Norsworthy once last week as a result of the scan and he thinks that she has C1/C2 cervical vertebrae trauma which is causing misalignment which is pinching the eustachian tubes in her neck so that her ears are not draining. He took Xrays at her first appointment and she sees him next week and will probably be sent for an MRI at that time. Dr. Norsworthy said that this may be contributing to her migraines and she cannot have hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy until the fluid in her ears is resolved. Dr. Schaller also mentioned neurofeedback therapy and a few other therapies as time goes on. He has mapped out a new direction for her therapy based on the scan results and he is now able to pinpoint specific therapies to increase response from the underactive areas of her brain.

I, Jennifer's mom, think that the SPECT scan has been very beneficial to Jennifer. She only just had the scan in mid-July, and then her next appointment with Dr. Schaller was not until the end of July. And now with the ear issues that must be resolved before the hyperbaric oxygen therapy - it could be a while yet before she can start the targeted therapy, but I now feel that the doctors are 'seeing' the trauma specific to Jennifer and using a targeted approach for the first time, as opposed to her initial therapy protocols - this physical therapy works for 80% of patients, so let's try this first... type approach. Dr. Schaller was at a loss as to what to do at this point almost a year and a half out from the injury. It is still too early to say if therapies initiated due to the scan will improve Jennifer's condition since we have just started the process, but I feel like the scan provided a path forward, which was not there before.

-- Lora