Amen Clinics

The Overlooked Link Between Stress and Heart Disease

Thrive Agency — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:24:25 +0000

July 22, 2026
Health and Wellness, Stress and PTSD

The Overlooked Link Between Stress and Heart Disease

You may call it “just stress.” A tough week. A demanding job. Financial pressure. Family tension

But your heart doesn’t know the difference between emotional stress and physical danger.

Every time you feel overwhelmed, your brain triggers a cascade of biological reactions. Your heart rate rises, blood vessels tighten, and your body floods with stress hormones. When that response becomes chronic, it doesn’t just affect your mood. It can silently strain your cardiovascular system over time.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming 1 in every 5 lives. And a growing body of research shows that chronic stress is not just an emotional burden, but a measurable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

How does stress increase the risk of heart disease?

At Amen Clinics, we approach this question from a brain-first perspective. Your brain controls your stress response. It shapes your hormones, influences your habits, and ultimately plays a powerful role in protecting, or harming, your heart.

Medically reviewed by Kandace Licciardi, MD,  Amen Clinics.

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When Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals seek mental health support, an often-overlooked factor can add complexity to their condition.

They frequently experience racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). Indeed, at least 63 percent of Black Americans and 47 percent of Latino individuals have reported experiencing race-based traumatic events. In other studies, 58 percent of Asian adults report that they’ve ever undergone unfair treatment based on their race or ethnicity.

According to research from the American Psychological Association, unlike post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), RBTS is not a mental health disorder but rather a mental and emotional injury that can occur as a result of living within a racist system or experiencing events of racism.

This distinction reflects what BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month aims to highlight: how systemic experiences can affect mental health, as well as brain health, without defining or labeling identity as illness.

When it comes to treatment, it’s important that members of the BIPOC community seek help from mental health providers who are sensitive to the effects of this type of trauma.

RBTS symptoms can look very similar to PTSD and can include depressed mood, hypervigilance, low self-esteem, and/or somatic symptoms such as headaches, GI distress, and insomnia, to name a few.

In this blog, we’ll examine BIPOC mental health disparities, key stressors, and also brain-based approaches to care.

Chronic stress can contribute to persistent inflammation and, as a result, weaken your blood vessels and lead to the build-up of plaque. Accumulated plaque and narrowed blood vessels can increase the workload of the heart, setting the stage for atherosclerosis.

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What Happens in the Body During Stress

When your brain senses a threat, whether it is real or perceived, it immediately releases adrenaline and then cortisol. This activates the fight-or-flight response, often called the stress response. This is your body’s built-in survival system. It prepares you to react quickly by either confronting the challenge in front of you or getting away from danger.

These chemicals trigger the physical changes you feel, such as a racing heart, faster breathing, and a surge of energy. All of it is designed to prepare you to take action quickly.

You might notice your heart pounding, a rush of energy, or your breathing becoming faster and more shallow.

Adrenaline provides your body with a quick energy boost, which then speeds up your heart and breathing. Cortisol helps in maintaining that energy so that your body can stay alert if the stress continues. Cortisol and adrenaline trigger physical changes that impact your heart and blood vessels. Your blood pressure goes up, the heart rate rises, and the blood vessels begin to tighten to support faster delivery of nutrients and oxygen.

In the short term, the stress response helps you react quickly and stay focused. However, with prolonged stress, the physiological changes can take a toll on your body.

Ongoing activation of the stress response in your body can strain the heart, fuel inflammation, and increase the likelihood of chronic heart problems. With everyday life challenges, a little stress is useful as it can sharpen your focus and energy. But constant stress keeps the fight-or-flight switch on, which can gradually strain your heart and overall health.

Stress and Heart Disease: What Research Shows

Research acknowledges chronic stress – including marital stress, trauma, work stress and childhood abuse – as an important and often overlooked risk factor in the development of heart disease.

Although stress alone may not be considered a direct cause of heart disease, science shows a strong correlation. In a recent longitudinal study chronic psychological pressure over time was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease event among middle-aged participants – even when they were physically active and had social support.

Indeed, stress is an important piece of the heart health puzzle. When prolonged, it can indirectly contribute to heart disease by raising blood pressure, fueling inflammation, and disrupting some metabolic processes. The metabolic disruption impacts cholesterol balance and blood sugar regulation.

Such changes add another layer of strain on your cardiovascular system, particularly if they persist over a long time. Research has also identified connections between chronic stress and a high risk of major cardiovascular conditions like arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), heart attack, and stroke.

The Link Between Chronic Stress and Heart Disease

When stress persists day after day, hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol may remain elevated, which can keep your body in a constant state of alert. In the long run, elevated stress hormones can disrupt your normal cardiovascular function, causing your heart to work harder than it normally would.

Chronic stress can also contribute to persistent inflammation and, as a result, weaken your blood vessels and lead to the build-up of plaque. Accumulated plaque and narrowed blood vessels can increase the workload of the heart, setting the stage for atherosclerosis.

The heart rhythm can also be affected, and in some cases, lead to irregular beats or contribute to slower recovery after physical exertion. Poorly managed stress can compound other risk factors by encouraging habits like inactivity, poor sleep, and unhealthy eating, which place further strain on your heart.

Related: 10 Natural Ways to Calm Stress

How the Brain Influences Heart Health

Your brain has significant influence over your heart health. After all, your brain controls your stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure. Your brain senses or perceives threats. Your brain triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol to prepare your body to respond. If these hormones are activated too often, it places ongoing strain on your heart and can gradually wear down your cardiovascular system.

Mental health conditions impact the brain, and vice versa. For example, depression, trauma, and anxiety can be associated with sluggish activity in the prefrontal cortex and too much activity in the amygdala. This can set the stage for a heightened stress response.

Indeed, an overactive amygdala can keep the stress response switch on. And an underactive prefrontal cortex, which is instrumental in regulating and calming the amygdala, may lack the power to calm the stress response. This contributes to chronic elevated stress hormones, causing greater wear and tear on the cardiovascular system.

Thus, the effects of mental health conditions and brain health are very much linked to your heart health. What supports brain function and mental health also helps heart health.

Stress-Related Behaviors That Increase Heart Disease Risk

As mentioned, when stress goes unchecked, unhealthy coping behaviors add to the increased risk of developing heart disease. The connection between chronic stress and heart disease unfolds as follows:

Poor sleep: Stress affects your normal sleeping patterns. Lack of adequate sleep can increase inflammation, which could lead to either a stroke or a heart attack. Sleeplessness is also linked to conditions that increase your risk of heart disease, like depression and diabetes.
Emotional eating: Stress hormones raise your appetite and cause your metabolism to be sluggish. This can lead to weight gain, which can trigger diabetes and high blood pressure, risk factors for heart problems.
Reduced physical activity: When stress drains you physically and mentally, you may find it harder to maintain regular physical activities. This can weaken your heart and, over time, increase your blood pressure.
Increased alcohol or nicotine use: Some people turn to substances such as alcohol and nicotine to cope with stress. Smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Social withdrawal: Chronic stress causes anxiety, excessive rumination, and depression, all of which can make you want to keep away from family and friends. Social withdrawal and isolation are independent risk factors for heart disease.
Difficulty sticking to medical recommendations: Stress comes with forgetfulness. Unfortunately, failure to adhere to lifestyle recommendations and medication as advised by a healthcare professional can compromise your heart health.

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Stress-Related Heart Problems?

While everyone goes through stress at one time or another, some people are more vulnerable to stress-related heart problems, including the following:

People with chronic anxiety or depression. Studies show that constant anxiety and depression can quicken the rate at which cardiovascular disease risk factors like obesity and high blood pressure show up.
Caregivers: Caregiving can increase chronic stress, which can result in depression. With depression, there are higher chances of an individual developing heart disease.
High-pressure professions: Demanding jobs can keep stress levels elevated for extended periods. This pressure can strain the heart, especially with poor stress management and limited time for recovery from stress.
Individuals with trauma histories: Trauma causes heightened and prolonged stress responses, even in everyday situations, which can keep stress hormones elevated, placing added strain on the heart over time.
Those with limited recovery time or support: Without opportunities to recover, the body stays in a heightened stress state that can strain the heart.
People with existing cardiovascular risk factors. Preexisting conditions like heart failure could worsen with additional stress.

Signs Stress May Be Affecting Heart Health

Your body is pretty good about giving you feedback when something is wrong. Your heart is no exception. When stress levels are affecting the heart, here’s what you might experience:

Persistently elevated blood pressure: Continued spikes of blood pressure due to stress can lead to high blood pressure, which can put undue pressure on your heart.
Chest tightness during stress: When you’re stressed and anxious, your chest muscles tighten. The heightened response to continued stress results in a physical reaction, which manifests as chest pain.
Palpitations: Palpitations could be a sign you’re having a heart attack, especially if this is accompanied by a racing heartbeat, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
Fatigue: Elevated stress causes weakness and fatigue. These two signal a weak heart, which means your heart is struggling to pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs.
Poor sleep: Chronic stress could lead to sleep deprivation. This can increase your blood pressure and strain the heart.
Frequent headaches: Ongoing stress triggers migraines or tension headaches. It keeps stress hormones elevated and muscles tight, which indicates strain in the cardiovascular system.
Feeling “wired but exhausted”: If you ever feel wired and exhausted at the same time, it usually means your nervous system is stimulated, but your energy is depleted. Chronic stress and high cortisol levels cause this reaction, and it could disrupt your sleep.

If you experience one or more of the above symptoms, seek medical attention. Do not self-diagnose. It is always better to err on the side of caution. Let a medical professional make the correct diagnosis and treatment for reducing stress.

Ways to Reduce Stress to Support Heart Health

Even if you are in good health, finding ways to reduce stress will make you feel better. Here are some effective strategies to reduce stress and support heart health:

Improve sleep consistency: Researchers say that consistent sleep, both in quality and quantity, can reduce stress. Sleep experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Gentle physical activity: Moderate physical activity is known to relieve stress, tension, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Exercising releases serotonin, a natural mood booster that counters stress.
Stress-reduction practices (breathing, mindfulness, therapy): Relaxation techniques like breathing exercises, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation help to induce a slower heart rate and lower blood pressure. Mindfulness and therapy are also powerful stress-reducing practices.
Social connection: Connecting with people is a great stress buster. Celebrating, laughing, and doing stuff together help to improve your mood and boost your well-being. During difficult times, ask for help from a close friend or family member.
Reduce overstimulation: Doom scrolling steals your time, contributes to your stress levels by triggering a sensory overload, and negatively impacts your sleep. Use this time to visit friends, read, or spend time outdoors.
Treat underlying anxiety or depression. Trying to understand what triggers your anxiety and depression is the first step in addressing stress. Research indicates that treating anxiety and depression significantly reduces stress, with proven approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as well as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

When to Seek Professional Help

Stress is a normal part of life. But when it becomes constant or overwhelming, that’s an indication it is time to get help.

Consider reaching out to a healthcare or mental health professional as soon as possible if you experience any of the following:

Your stress feels persistent, intense, or impossible to manage on your own.
You develop physical symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, frequent headaches, insomnia, digestive problems, or high blood pressure.
Your mood shifts noticeably. For example, if you feel irritable, on edge, hopeless, or stuck in constant worry that interferes with daily life.
You struggle to maintain healthy habits, such as exercising, eating well, or getting consistent sleep.
Family members, friends, or a care provider express concern about changes in your memory, focus, sleep, or behavior.

If you experience physical symptoms, start with a medical evaluation to rule out underlying conditions. If you notice emotional symptoms (such as panic attacks, ongoing anxiety, sadness, or depression), a qualified mental health professional can help you address the root causes and develop a plan for recovery.

You don’t have to wait until stress takes a serious toll on your brain or your heart. Early support can make all the difference.

How Amen Clinics Supports Brain and Heart Health

Amen Clinics begins with assessing brain function, lifestyle factors, and stress patterns to get a clear picture of how your brain could be affecting your heart. Our clinicians rely on brain SPECT imaging to see activity patterns in the brain and how the blood flows. This reveals areas affected by trauma, stress, or anxiety.

Our clinicians can see areas where there’s overactivity, as well as areas that do not have enough activity. With the insights SPECT imaging provides, along with clinical assessments and your personal health history, a tailored treatment plan can be devised.

A customized plan may target emotional well-being, stress management, and behavior changes. Amen clinics work with a coordinated approach that ensures brain-focused interventions complement overall health care, supporting both mental and cardiovascular well-being.

This is achieved through the integration of lifestyle strategies like exercise, diet, nutraceuticals, relaxation techniques, and sleep, with existing medical treatments. If there are mental health conditions to be addressed, a customized plan may include any number of targeted therapies, and medication, only if necessary.

One of our patients who struggled with high blood pressure and poor sleep showed measurable improvements after brain-focused interventions. With personalized strategies targeting stress, mood, and behavior, their sleep quality improved, blood pressure stabilized, and overall heart strain decreased.

Guarding Your Heart, Keeping Stress in Check

Though complex, the link between stress and heart disease is real. Chronic stress can affect heart health through multiple pathways, including emotional eating, social withdrawal, and substance abuse. Early evaluation and support can make a meaningful difference, but it’s better to prevent chronic stress by addressing stressors as soon as you notice the symptoms.

FAQ About Stress and Heart Health

Can emotional stress trigger heart problems even without physical exertion?

BIPOC Mental Health Patients: Challenges and Personalized Care

Thrive Agency — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:11:57 +0000

July 17, 2026
Brain Health Problems, Health and Wellness, Stress and PTSD

BIPOC Mental Health Patients: Challenges and Personalized Care

TL;DR:
BIPOC mental health patients are impacted by race-based trauma, systemic disparities, and chronic stress that can affect both emotional well-being and brain function.

This blog explores barriers to care, including stigma and misdiagnosis, and explains how trauma impacts the brain. It also highlights how a brain-based, culturally informed approach can lead to more accurate diagnosis and better outcomes.

Medically reviewed by Larry Momaya, MD, Amen Clinics

When Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals seek mental health support, an often-overlooked factor can add complexity to their condition.

When it comes to treatment, it’s important that members of the BIPOC community seek help from mental health providers who are sensitive to the effects of this type of trauma.

RBTS symptoms can look very similar to PTSD and can include depressed mood, hypervigilance, low self-esteem, and/or somatic symptoms such as headaches, GI distress, and insomnia, to name a few.

In this blog, we’ll examine BIPOC mental health disparities, key stressors, and brain-based approaches to care.

BIPOC mental health care can be more effective if it is culturally informed, comprehensive, and tailored to an individual’s brain health.

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What Is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month?

BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. It refers to the communities that have historically experienced racial and ethnic marginalization.

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 2008 to raise awareness of the unique mental health challenges faced by these communities and also to improve access to culturally responsive mental health care. It is observed every July.

The aim of this initiative has been to underscore challenges faced by BIPOC patients, such as delayed diagnosis, limited access to care, and poorer treatment outcomes. Such disparities are showcased in the prevalence of mental health conditions across various BIPOC populations.

According to research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 20.9 percent of Black adults in the U.S. reported to have had a mental health condition in 2023. Additionally, research from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that approximately 21.4 percent of Hispanic/Latino adults reported undergoing any mental health illness in the past year.

This highlights the need for awareness and culturally responsive care.

How Mental Health Disparities Affect BIPOC Communities

Among the BIPOC communities, mental health disparities are driven by different evidence-based factors that affect access to timely care, the recognition of symptoms, and treatment outcomes.

Hinderances to access, like provider shortages, insurance issues, and geographical limitations, can significantly lower the likelihood that these individuals receive mental health care when it is needed.

For instance, studies have shown that white adults who report fair or poor mental health have a higher likelihood of receiving mental health services compared to Black or Hispanic adults who have the same needs, showcasing inequalities in care utilization.

Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2022 found that approximately 56.1 percent of white adults received mental health treatment in the previous year, compared to about 37.9 percent of Black adults, 39.6 percent Hispanic adults, and 36.1 percent of Asian adults.

Cultural stigma has been a persistent barrier over the years, as a sense of shame is attached to mental health issues in BIPOC communities. This leads to individuals shying away from seeking help as they fear being judged or embarrassed. Such stigma has contributed to lower rates of treatment initiation and sustained engagement with care.

There have been experiences of inequitable treatment in healthcare systems that have caused mistrust, discouraging the use of mental health services. Implicit bias and past mistreatment in clinical settings can contribute to individuals being reluctant to seek or continue with treatment.

Language barriers are a hindrance to effective communication between providers and patients, limiting accurate diagnosis and also culturally responsive treatment planning. In some cases, clinicians lack cultural competence, which compounds the barriers. This reduces the likelihood that they’ve fully understood symptoms or that they’ll properly address them.

Underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis can occur if culturally diverse expressions of symptoms are not fully recognized or are interpreted through bias, contributing to challenges in diagnosis and treatment planning.

Social health determinants like housing instability, socioeconomic status, education, and employment influence the risk of mental health problems and access to services. Systemic inequalities in those determinants can create systemic stress, elevating vulnerability to psychological distress among BIPOC communities.

Additionally, exposure to trauma, including experiences of systemic racism and discrimination, exacerbates challenges in mental health and contributes to disparities in both incidence and outcomes. Stress and trauma impact brain function and are often associated with a number of mental health symptoms. With such exposures, there is an increased risk of conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. It highlights the need for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care.

How Traditional Mental Health Models May Fall Short

Traditional mental health models have been playing an important role in the process of identifying and treating mental health concerns. That said, they have been facing limitations when trying to address the full complexity of mental health challenges across diverse populations.

Many approaches primarily depend on symptom-based diagnosis, usually without incorporating neurological or biological assessments that can help clarify the underlying contributors to mental health issues.

In some instances, healthcare providers put more emphasis on medication-first approaches. While medication can be of benefit, it may not fully account for differences in how an individual patient’s brain functions, their medical history, and their environmental stressors. Not having this kind of specific data can limit personalization of treatment.

Assessment tools that are commonly used can have limited cultural nuance, which may influence the identification and interpretation of symptoms across populations. Such issues reflect how complex BIPOC mental health care can be. They highlight the need for approaches that are more comprehensive and culturally informed.

Why a Brain-Based Approach May Offer Additional Insight

A brain-based approach views mental health symptoms through the lens of brain function. It recognizes that symptoms are often influenced by the dysfunction of certain brain regions. Thus, mental health conditions are brain-based. They are not reflective of a flaw in the individual. When this is understood by the patient, stigma and shame are reduced.

A brain-based perspective recognizes that symptoms (like depression or anxiety, for example) can arise from different underlying brain blood flow and activity patterns. That means that two people with depression symptoms can actually have different underlying brain activity patterns, which explains why people may respond in different ways to the same treatment.

Additionally, the brain-based approach highlights the importance of identifying potential medical factors that can contribute to mental health symptoms like sleep apnea, thyroid imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and prior brain injury. Such factors can complicate diagnosis and consequently affect treatment outcomes if left unaddressed.

Brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics helps to evaluate the patterns of blood flow and activity in a patient’s brain. Instead of replacing clinical assessment, SPECT imaging provides additional biological context to support more individualized treatment planning.

Clinicians examine how symptom clusters correspond with different patterns of the brain to understand why conditions like depression or anxiety can present in varied ways. The framework supports the belief that brain function can be targeted and improved, and personalized interventions can help improve outcomes with time.

How Does Trauma Affect the Brain?

For BIPOC individuals who have experienced some of these unique stressors, including generational trauma, a brain-based approach is even more critical. There’s evidence that suggests trauma may impact brain function with a distinct pattern.

Amen Clinics has conducted multiple brain SPECT imaging studies on individuals with a history of trauma, including a study published in PLOS One. SPECT scans consistently reveal heightened activity in the brain’s emotional centers, forming a distinctive “diamond” pattern.

The brain regions most commonly affected include:

Anterior cingulate gyrus: This is known as the brain’s “gear shifter.” It helps you transition from one thought to another. Overactivity in this area is associated with getting stuck on negative thoughts or behaviors.

Basal ganglia and amygdala: These areas play a central role in anxiety and fear. Overactivity here is associated with heightened tension, worry, and fearing the worst.

Thalamus: This area acts as a relay center, processing incoming sensory information. Overactivity can lead to increased sensitivity to your surroundings.

In some cases, the right lateral temporal lobe may also be overactive. This area of the brain helps interpret social cues and understand others’ intentions. When it is overactive, it can lead to misreading situations or assuming others have negative intent toward you.

When you are repeatedly exposed to race-related trauma and stress, it can impact your brain and drive mental health symptoms. Treatment methods focused on addressing trauma-related brain dysfunction can get to the heart of the problem and lead to better outcomes.

Unique Stressors Affecting Some BIPOC Mental Health Patients

Some of the mental health patients in the BIPOC communities experience ongoing stressors that may influence their brain function and emotional health over time. These types of experiences may vary from one individual to another.

Chronic Stress Exposure

This includes prolonged vigilance or economic strain. This kind of stress can keep your nervous system in a heightened state, contributing to mood symptoms, anxiety, and sleep disruptions.

If an individual’s stress response stays activated for a long time, it can affect the brain regions responsible for attention, emotional regulation, and impulse control. Sustained activation of the stress response can also disrupt the autonomic nervous system and cortisol balance.

Discrimination-Related Stress

RBTS or discrimination-related stress results from repeated instances of bias or exclusion. Even though race-based traumatic stress may not be classified as a mental illness, it is usually associated with trauma-like symptoms that can influence mental well-being.

Such experiences can contribute to emotional exhaustion, changes in stress reactivity, hypervigilance, and difficulty feeling safe in everyday environments.

Intergenerational Trauma

Trauma is connected to historical inequities that may impact stress responses and coping patterns across generations. According to research, being exposed to prolonged or collective adversity could influence biological stress responses and learned coping behaviors in families. It has the potential to affect mental health vulnerability over time.

Accumulative Stress

This can occur as individuals try to navigate pressures so that they can adapt to a dominant culture while they maintain their cultural identity.

In the long run, that ongoing balancing act can contribute to identity conflict, emotional strain, and heightened stress responses, especially when individuals feel like they are compelled to suppress various aspects of their cultural experiences or values to feel understood or accepted.

Microaggressions

Although they may be subtle, microaggressions can accumulate with time and increase psychological strain. Repeated exposure to microaggressions can contribute to emotional fatigue, heightened stress reactivity, and persistent vigilance, which can eventually affect self-esteem, mood regulation, and overall mental well-being.

Community Violence Exposure

Exposure to community violence may be direct or indirect and can affect an individual’s perceived safety and ability to regulate stress in the long term. Continuous exposure, whether through community awareness or media, can reinforce heightened threat perception, strain the emotional regulation systems and disrupt sleep, especially if safe and consistent recovery environments are limited.

It’s important to note that while chronic stress can alter an individual’s nervous system functioning and brain health in measurable ways, the changes are treatable.

The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis in BIPOC Patients

Accurate diagnosis plays a crucial role in facilitating appropriate mental health care for patients in the BIPOC communities. This is essential, especially in patients with complex symptoms that overlap across conditions.

Studies suggest that delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis can contribute to treatment gaps even among individuals who are going through significant psychological distress.

How Can Misdiagnosis Affect BIPOC Mental Health Patients?

The same research has additionally shown that misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis can affect BIPOC individuals who are struggling with mental health challenges by contributing to delays in providing the right kind of care and effective treatment planning.

Sometimes conditions like behavioral and psychotic disorders are overdiagnosed, while anxiety and mood disorders can be underrecognized, even if the symptoms are present.

Different cultures express distress differently. That includes the ways stress, emotional pain, and trauma are communicated. This can influence how clinicians in standard clinical settings interpret symptoms. The accuracy of diagnosis may be reduced if these differences are not fully considered.

To ensure accurate diagnosis and effective care, it is important for BIPOC patients to undergo more comprehensive evaluations that include more than recording symptomology.

At Amen Clinics, our comprehensive evaluation takes a whole-body approach. As described earlier, it includes a detailed medical history and consideration of biological contributors and lifestyle factors, plus clinical assessments, and diagnostics, if necessary. Additionally, Brain SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics adds objective data concerning how the brain functions.

SPECT measures blood flow and activity in the brain, Specifically, it reveals problematic areas of overactivity and underactivity, as well as areas of healthy function. For example, the trauma-associated “diamond brain” mentioned earlier shows a pattern of areas with overactivity. SPECT helps our clinicians practice precision medicine as they use the information it provides, plus other collected data, to carefully consider what is happening inside your brain.

The insights provide important clues, especially with complex cases and co-occurring mental health conditions with overlapping symptoms, to help determine the most accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. Our thorough approach can help reduce diagnostic uncertainty and support more precise care.

Our clinicians practice holistic psychiatry, crafting individualized treatment plans that use primarily natural ways to treat mental health conditions, plus lifestyle recommendations, different types of therapy (including somatic therapy and EMDR, which effectively treat trauma), and medication only when necessary.

Moving From Awareness to Action

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month creates an opportunity to bring needed attention to the persistent disparities in mental health care. It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing how cultural, biological, and social factors intersect when it comes to care.

Keeping the focus on brain health helps to reduce the mental health stigma that is so present among BIPOC communities.

Mental health care can be more effective if it is culturally informed, comprehensive, and tailored to an individual’s brain health. With personalized treatment and the right kind of support, it is possible to improve brain function and also witness meaningful progress in patients from BIPOC communities.

If you or your loved one is experiencing mental health struggles possibly linked to race-related stressors, it’s important to seek a thorough evaluation from a qualified mental health professional who is also skilled at diagnosing and treating the complex presentations common in BIPOC individuals.

FAQ About BIPOC Mental Health Care

What does BIPOC stand for in mental health discussions?

Do Bipolar Brains “Run Hot”? What Imaging Research Shows

Thrive Agency — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:18:01 +0000

July 15, 2026
Brain Health Problems, Brain SPECT Imaging, Health and Wellness, SPECT Scans Case Study

Do Bipolar Brains “Run Hot”? What Imaging Research Shows

TL;DR: What Brain-Imaging Study Reveals About Bipolar Brains

Bipolar brains may “run hot”: A 2023 SPECT study found widespread overactivity in bipolar disorder brain blood flow.
Key circuits are involved: The strongest effects were in frontostriatal circuits that regulate mood, impulse control, and decision-making.
Brain patterns may change with age: Unlike typical aging, bipolar disorder brain blood flow increased over time in the study group.
This does NOT predict your future: These are group trends, not guarantees for every individual.
Brain imaging adds insight: SPECT scans reveal patterns in bipolar disorder brain blood flow that symptoms alone can’t show.
Better understanding = better care: A brain-based approach may help guide more personalized, effective treatment for bipolar disorder.

Medically reviewed by Daniel Emina, MD, Amen Clinics.

If you or someone you love has bipolar disorder, you know how intense and unpredictable the symptoms can feel. The dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and behavior aren’t just frustrating. They can be confusing and, at times, overwhelming.

For years, many people have wondered: what’s actually happening in the brain during these cycles?

New research using brain SPECT imaging is beginning to offer answers. A groundbreaking study examining brain blood flow patterns in bipolar individuals found widespread brain overactivity, especially in key circuits involved in mood regulation.

Even more surprising, this pattern appears to move in the opposite direction of normal brain aging.

In this blog, you’ll learn what these brain scan findings mean, why the affected brain circuits matter so much, how this research may help explain the long-term course of bipolar disorder, and what you can do about it.

A groundbreaking study examining bipolar disorder brain blood flow found that people with the condition may have widespread brain overactivity, especially in key circuits involved in mood regulation.

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Can a Brain Scan Show Bipolar Disorder?

In general, SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) scans are not used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool. They are part of a comprehensive clinical evaluation that examines symptoms, lifestyle habits, and overall health.

How Can Brain Scans Help with a Clinical Diagnosis?

Brain imaging with SPECT can be a valuable tool in diagnosing bipolar disorder. SPECT measures blood flow and activity in the brain and can help clinicians identify areas with healthy activity, too much activity, or too little activity.

When used alongside a thorough assessment, it can provide additional insight that may help clinicians better understand what is happening beneath the surface.

Brain Imaging Can Reveal Meaningful Patterns

SPECT imaging looks at bipolar disorder brain blood flow and activity levels in different regions of the brain. This allows clinicians and researchers to see how the brain is functioning, not just how it looks structurally.

Research, including the 2023 study highlighted in this article, shows that people with bipolar disorder may have distinct patterns of bipolar disorder brain overactivity, especially in circuits involved in mood regulation.

At Amen Clinics, brain SPECT imaging is used to identify these functional patterns. This brain-based approach can help reveal differences that cannot be ascertained through documenting symptoms alone and may support more informed decision-making.

A healthy “active” scan shows the most active parts of the brain with blue representing the average activity and red (or sometimes red and white) representing the most active parts of the brain. In the healthy scan, the most active area is in the cerebellum, at the back/bottom part of the brain. In the other scan from a person with bipolar disorder, there is overactivity in many areas of the brain.

Why This Matters for Patients

Understanding that bipolar disorder involves real, measurable differences in brain function can be life-changing.

It shifts the conversation away from blame and toward biology. Bipolar disorder is not a character flaw or a lack of willpower. It is a brain health condition that is highly heritable and can involve disruptions in how the brain regulates mood, energy, and behavior.

For many people, seeing this evidence provides relief, validation, and a clearer path forward.

What the 2023 SPECT Study Found

One of the strengths of this research is its size. The study analyzed brain SPECT scans from 313 adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder and compared them to healthy individuals.

Participants underwent comprehensive evaluations along with brain imaging, giving researchers a detailed look at how brain function differed between the two groups. This larger sample size helps strengthen confidence in the patterns that were observed.

Bipolar Disorder Showed Generalized Hypermetabolism

The most striking finding was widespread bipolar disorder brain overactivity. Researchers found elevated blood flow across many regions of the brain, a pattern known as hypermetabolism.

This is what people mean when they say bipolar brains “run hot.” It does not refer to temperature. It reflects increased activity and blood flow in the brain, which can signal that certain systems are working harder than they should.

Rather than being limited to one small area, this overactivity appeared across multiple brain regions, suggesting a more global pattern of dysregulation.

The Strongest Effects Appeared in Frontostriatal Circuits

Although the overactivity was widespread, it was especially pronounced in frontostriatal circuits. These brain pathways connect the frontal lobes, which are involved in decision-making and self-control, with deeper structures like the basal ganglia and thalamus.

These circuits play a central role in regulating mood, behavior, and impulse control. When they are overactive, it may contribute to the emotional highs, lows, and instability often seen in bipolar disorder.

This finding provides an important clue about the brain systems most involved in the condition.

The Brain Pattern Worsened with Age

Another important discovery involved how these patterns changed over time. In healthy individuals, certain aspects of brain activity tend to decrease with age.

In this study, the opposite pattern appeared in the bipolar group. The abnormalities in brain activity increased with age across much of the brain.

This does not mean that every person with bipolar disorder will experience worsening symptoms. It does suggest that, at the group level, the underlying brain changes may become more pronounced over time.

Other research using MRI also reveals structural changes over time in the bipolar brain. In particular, this multicenter study involving 1,232 individuals found faster cortical thinning, especially in the prefrontal cortex, in people with more manic episodes.

What Does “Brain Overactivity” Mean in Bipolar Disorder?

In simple terms, overactivity means there is too much activity in key brain systems. Your brain is designed to have balanced activity. Some areas should be more active at certain times, while others quiet down as needed.

In bipolar disorder, this balance can be disrupted. Certain systems stay overly active when they should be more regulated. This is what shows up on SPECT imaging as higher levels of activity across multiple regions.

Why More Activity Is Not Always Better

It might seem like more brain activity would be a good thing. In reality, too much activity in key regions can make it harder for the brain to function smoothly.

An overactive brain can lead to increased emotional intensity, faster shifts in mood, and difficulty calming down once a reaction starts. It can also make it harder to think clearly, pause before acting, or maintain steady focus.

In this way, more activity can mean less efficiency. The brain may be working harder, but not in a way that supports stability or control.

Why Frontostriatal Circuits Matter So Much

The frontostriatal circuits help regulate mood, impulse control, and decision-making. These networks play a key role in how you regulate your emotions, control impulses, and make decisions.

They help you pause before reacting, weigh consequences, and stay balanced in your responses to everyday situations. When these circuits are working well, they support stability, focus, and thoughtful behavior.

When These Circuits Are Overactive, Mood States May Become Harder to Regulate

When activity is too high in these circuits, it can disrupt that balance. Instead of helping regulate emotions, the system may become overly reactive.

This can make mood states more intense or harder to shift. You may feel stuck in a high-energy or low-energy state, or find it difficult to return to baseline after an emotional reaction.

Overactivity in these regions can also affect impulse control and decision-making, which may contribute to behaviors that feel hard to manage in the moment.

Why This Could Help Explain Bipolar Highs, Lows, and Instability

These findings offer a possible brain-based explanation for some of the patterns seen in bipolar disorder.

If frontostriatal circuits are overactive, it may help explain why mood changes can feel so powerful and difficult to regulate. It may also shed light on the swings between elevated and depressed states, as well as the instability that many people with bipolar disorder experience.

Why the Aging Finding Could Matter for Long-Term Brain Health

The finding that bipolar brains worsened with age highlights the importance of taking bipolar disorder seriously as a long-term brain health condition. It reinforces the value of early recognition, consistent care, and lifelong strategies that support healthy brain function.

At the same time, this is not a prediction of inevitable decline. Many people with bipolar disorder improve with the right treatment and lifestyle support. Understanding the brain patterns involved can help guide more proactive and personalized approaches to care over the long term.

Does This Mean Bipolar Symptoms Always Intensify Over Time?

Not necessarily. The study found that brain activity differences increased with age in the bipolar group as a whole.

That does not mean every individual with bipolar disorder will experience worsening symptoms over time. People respond differently based on factors like treatment, lifestyle, support systems, and overall health.

At the same time, the results offer a possible explanation for why some individuals report that their symptoms become more difficult to manage as they get older.

If underlying brain activity becomes more dysregulated over time in some cases, it could contribute to greater mood instability, more intense episodes, or a harder time returning to baseline.

This does not apply to everyone, but it provides a useful framework for understanding why the course of bipolar disorder can vary so widely.

Early Recognition and Better Brain Care May Matter

These findings reinforce the value of paying attention to brain health early and consistently over time.

Getting an accurate diagnosis, following an effective treatment plan, and supporting the brain through healthy habits may help improve stability and long-term outcomes.

There is real hope here. With the right approach, many people with bipolar disorder can feel better, function better, and build a more stable future.

Why Looking at the Brain Can Change the Conversation

Symptoms Alone Do Not Tell the Whole Story

Bipolar disorder is not one thing. There are multiple types, including bipolar 1 and bipolar 2, and the symptoms you experience depend on which type you have.

While symptoms help guide diagnosis, they do not always reveal what is happening in the brain. Different patterns of brain function can lead to similar outward behaviors, which is why a one-size-fits-all approach does not always work.

Brain Imaging May Help Clarify What Is Driving Instability

Looking at the brain can provide additional clues about what may be contributing to mood instability.

SPECT imaging shows patterns of activity and blood flow that may help identify overactive or underactive regions. In some cases, this added layer of information can help clinicians better understand why symptoms are occurring or why certain treatments have not been effective.

Better Information Can Support Better Planning

When you have a clearer picture of how the brain is functioning, it becomes easier to make more informed decisions about care.

At Amen Clinics, brain-imaging technology is used to identify patterns associated with bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. This brain-first approach helps guide a more personalized evaluation process.

Better information does not guarantee a specific outcome, but it can support more thoughtful planning and a more targeted path forward.

How Does Amen Clinics Look at Bipolar Disorder?

At Amen Clinics, we go beyond traditional psychiatry with a whole-body approach. The focus starts with the organ that drives thoughts, feelings, and behavior: the brain.

Instead of relying on symptoms alone, this approach looks at how the brain is functioning. This helps shift the conversation from labels to underlying biology and opens the door to more targeted care.

After analyzing nearly 300,000 brain scans from more than 100,000 patients, we understand that every brain is different, and effective care often begins with understanding those differences.

By combining brain imaging with a comprehensive clinical evaluation, Amen Clinics works to build a more complete picture of each individual. This allows for a more personalized approach that considers brain function, biology, and life experience.

Final Takeaway: Bipolar Brains May Show a Distinct Pattern of Overactivity

This 2023 SPECT study adds an important piece to the understanding of bipolar disorder. The findings suggest that bipolar disorder is associated with widespread brain overactivity, known as hypermetabolism, with especially strong effects in frontostriatal circuits involved in mood and behavior.

The research also found that these brain activity patterns may become more pronounced with age, which differs from what is typically seen in adults without bipolar disorder.

These results do not mean that every person with bipolar disorder will experience worsening symptoms over time. However, they do support a more brain-based view of the condition. Bipolar disorder is not just about mood swings. It can involve measurable differences in how the brain functions.

Understanding these patterns may help explain why consistent, thoughtful care matters. With the right approach, it is possible to support better brain health, improve stability, and build a more hopeful path forward.

FAQ About Bipolar Disorder, Brain Blood Flow, and SPECT Scans

Can a brain scan show bipolar disorder?

10 Anxiety Management Techniques to Calm Your Mind Naturally

Thrive Agency — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:18:11 +0000

July 13, 2026
Anxiety and Depression, Health and Wellness, Stress and PTSD

10 Anxiety Management Techniques to Calm Your Mind Naturally

TL;DR

Anxiety is common, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. The same symptoms can have very different root causes, which is why some techniques work for some people but not others.

Science-backed strategies like breathing exercises, movement, better sleep, and nutrition can help calm your nervous system, especially when practiced consistently.

But lasting relief often comes from understanding what’s driving your anxiety. A brain-based, whole-body approach can uncover root causes and guide more personalized, effective solutions.

Medically reviewed by Daniel Emina, MD,  Amen Clinics

Have you ever found yourself wide awake at 2 a.m., your mind racing through everything that could go wrong? Or felt constantly on edge, like something bad is about to happen, even when everything seems fine?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Millions of people struggle with anxiety that feels overwhelming, unpredictable, and hard to control. An estimated 31.1 percent of U.S. adults experience some type of anxiety disorder during their lifetime.

The good news is that there are reliable, science-backed anxiety management techniques that can help calm your mind and restore a sense of control. These tools are not magic, but when used consistently and correctly, they can make a meaningful difference in how you think, feel, and respond to stress.

At the same time, anxiety is not one-size-fits-all, and neither are the solutions. What works for one person may not work for another.

In this guide, you will learn practical strategies grounded in brain science, along with insights into what is happening inside your brain so you can find the techniques that work best for you.

Anxiety doesn’t have a single cause. It can arise from a variety of factors, including differences in brain function, biology, and life experiences.

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What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s natural way of responding to unease, dread, fear, or nervousness concerning future uncertainty or threats, real or perceived. In moderation, anxiety serves a purpose. It’s what motivates us to prepare for an interview or exam, or to take measures to protect our health. Too much, however, is a problem. Anxiety can become a disorder if it’s persistent, excessive, and begins to interfere with your daily life.

Common psychological symptoms of anxiety may include:

Persistent worry or a sense of dread
Feeling easily irritated or on edge
Racing or intrusive thoughts that are hard to control
Trouble focusing or concentrating

Common physical symptoms of anxiety may include:

A racing or pounding heart
Muscle tightness or tension
Restlessness or an inability to relax
Shortness of breath
Cold, clammy, or sweaty hands
Dry mouth
Upset stomach or nausea
Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Anxiety is prevalent. Research by the World Health Organization shows that around 359 million people in the world experienced and lived with anxiety in 2021. More studies further show that generalized anxiety disorder affects nearly 7 million U.S. adults. Indeed, anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders globally.

What Are Anxiety Management Techniques?

Anxiety management techniques are strategies designed to help reduce excessive worry, calm the nervous system, and improve emotional regulation.

These approaches can take different forms. Some are mental, focusing on how you think. Others are physical, helping you regulate your body. And some are behavioral, centered on building healthier daily habits.

While these techniques can be helpful in moments of intense anxiety or panic, they tend to be most effective when practiced consistently over time.

It’s also important to remember that anxiety is highly individual. A technique that works well for someone else may not have the same effect for you, and that’s okay. In many cases, the most effective approach is a combination of strategies tailored to your unique needs and situation.

Why Anxiety Management Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

Anxiety doesn’t have a single cause. It can arise from a variety of factors, including differences in brain function, biology, and life experiences.

For some people, anxiety is linked to an overactive fear circuit in the brain that triggers constant false alarms. For others, it may stem from chronic stress that keeps the body’s stress response switched on.

Anxiety can also be rooted in past trauma, which may show up as physical symptoms like nausea or tension. In other cases, it may be influenced hormonal changes or underlying medical conditions. Even poor sleep can increase anxiety, research shows.

In short, two people can experience similar anxiety symptoms, but the underlying causes may be very different. Research and brain imaging have also shown that certain symptom patterns are associated with distinct brain activity and blood flow patterns.

That’s why cookie-cutter solutions don’t always work. The most effective approach is one that takes your unique brain and body into account.

10 Anxiety Management Techniques You Can Start Using Today

You can start using any of the following techniques to manage anxiety today. Try combining different techniques to maximize the calming benefits.

1. Slow, Controlled Breathing

Have you ever been told to “just take a deep breath” during an anxiety spike? While breathing can help, research shows that slowing down your exhalation matters more than simply taking deep breaths.

Slowing down your exhale, in particular, signals your nervous system to calm down and can quickly reduce feelings of anxiety.

One simple technique to try is the 15-second breath:

Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 1.5 seconds, exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, then hold again for 1.5 seconds. Repeat this cycle four to twelve times.

Try it for a minute or two. Notice how your body feels.

This type of slow, controlled breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your autonomic nervous system responsible for rest and relaxation. It helps counter your body’s stress response and restore balance.

2. Grounding Techniques

Grounding exercises have been shown to reduce anxiety in research. We’ve seen how anxiety can sometimes come from worrying about what will happen. When your mind is racing, grounding brings your attention back to the present moment by engaging the senses.

Here’s one technique you can use. Simply look around you and name:

5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

By the time you identify all five of your senses, your attention will return to the here and now, and your racing thoughts will begin to settle.

3. Move Your Body Regularly

You don’t need to spring for an expensive gym membership or train for a marathon. Move in any way you can. Dance to your favorite music or a YouTube workout, take a short walk, or do some simple stretching.

You might be surprised to discover how much a little regular movement helps to keep stress hormones like cortisol in check and boost brain function.

According to research, regular physical activity is proven to reduce anxiety symptoms in many different groups of people and, in some cases, more effective than conventional distraction techniques. Take a 20-minute walk today and see how you feel afterwards!

4. Limit Stimulants That Increase Anxiety

Caffeine and sugar can overstimulate your nervous system, triggering symptoms like a racing heart, shaky hands, and that wired-but-tired feeling.

One of the simplest ways to reduce these effects is to cut back gradually. Try limiting yourself to one cup of coffee in the morning, ideally before noon, and replace additional cups with water or herbal tea.

You might also consider switching to green tea. It contains about half the caffeine of coffee and includes L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes calm, focused alertness without the jitters.

When it comes to sugar, opt for whole fruits instead of processed sweets. Lower-sugar options like berries, grapefruit, kiwi, and green apples can help satisfy cravings without causing sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes.

As you make these changes, pay attention to how you feel. Even small adjustments can lead to noticeable improvements in your anxiety levels.

5. Improve Sleep Consistency

If you’ve been cutting back on sleep to get more done, it may actually be making it harder for you to handle stress. Think about how much bigger and more overwhelming small problems feel when you’re exhausted.

One of the most effective ways to support your mental health is to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends.

Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. When your sleep is consistent, your brain is better able to regulate emotions, manage stress, and keep anxiety in check.

6. Challenge Unhelpful Thought Patterns

When you get unhelpful thoughts like, “I am going to mess this up,” even when you know you are well prepared for that moment, remember, they are just your thoughts, not reality.

The truth is that our thoughts often lie to us. Questioning them can reduce anxiety levels.

So, next time you notice one of those automatic negative thoughts, pause. Ask yourself if it is true. For example, “all-or-nothing” thinking is often flawed. Consider if there’s a more accurate, positive thought. If so, choose that thought!

Challenging yourself to see things differently is not being overly positive or fake. You’re just refusing to believe every worst-case scenario your brain throws at you.

7. Build Supportive Social Connections

Your worries get louder when you are alone or isolate yourself because there’s nothing to interrupt or challenge them. Being around people you trust, even for a 10-minute call or chat, helps settle your nervous system.

It helps keep you in the present moment instead of getting stuck in worried thoughts. Research shows that people with lower levels of social connection have a higher risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder.

8. Practice Daily Stress Reset Habits

Short, intentional breaks are highly effective to implement because they are low-pressure. They provide enough of a break from stress to help keep tension levels manageable and anxiety in check.

Examples:

Take 60 seconds of quiet breathing
Try standing up to stretch when you feel physical tension
Make a cup of healthy herbal tea and sit down to enjoy it
Routinely step outside for a few minutes of fresh air and sunshine
Connect with real activities such as DIY projects instead of screen time

9. Support Brain Health Through Nutrition

You can support your brain health with your food choices. For instance, balanced meals keep your blood sugar stable, preventing the energy crashes that can trigger anxiety.

In addition, foods rich in omega-3s, such as salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds, give your brain the building blocks it needs to function better. Research shows that people who eat more whole foods, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids have lower rates of anxiety disorders. On the other hand, highly processed diets can cause higher rates of anxiety.

10. Create Structure and Predictability

Small daily routines, such as a morning ritual, setting a bedtime, and regular weekly grocery shopping, reduce the number of decisions your brain has to stress over. Structure and predictability calm your brain and help it relax.

Why Some Anxiety Strategies Work for Some People — But Not Others

The type of anxiety management technique that works depends on what the root cause of the anxiety is. Two people may both experience anxious symptoms, but one has an overactive fight-or-flight response, while the other struggles with brain fog and low energy. The first person might benefit from calming techniques like slow breathing. While the second person might need strategies to improve focus and regulation, such as structure and movement.

Same symptoms, but different anxiety management techniques. This is why personalization is critical. When one strategy is not effective for you, it does not mean that you cannot manage anxiety; it likely means that you need different techniques.

When Anxiety May Have Deeper Root Causes

Apart from stress, there are other causes of anxiety, such as biological factors, like:

Brain function differences: Your brain is sending too many danger signals when nothing is happening.
Hormonal imbalances: If your thyroid or stress hormones are out of balance, your body can feel constantly on edge for no reason.
Nutritional deficiencies: Low B12, vitamin D, or magnesium can cause your brain to struggle with producing the chemicals that keep you calm.
Past trauma: Trauma can rewire your stress response, making your nervous system stay stuck in high alert mode long after the danger is gone.
Medical conditions: Conditions like heart arrhythmias, blood sugar disorders, or asthma can cause physical symptoms that feel like anxiety.

It is important to rule out medical causes. Relaxation techniques may not be able to help these types of anxiety that have biological roots.

How Amen Clinics Looks at Anxiety Differently

Most of the approaches to anxiety focus on symptoms such as worry, restlessness, or panic. Our focus at Amen Clinics begins with brain health.

With the help of SPECT imaging, our clinicians look at patterns of blood flow and brain activity to see how different regions of the brain are functioning. This brain imaging work has revealed that there are seven subtypes or brain patterns associated with anxiety and depression, and anxiety and depression often co-occur.

In our comprehensive evaluation, our clinicians review this SPECT scan data, plus neuropsychological testing and a detailed personal health history, to better understand what may be driving your anxiety.

And what drives anxiety varies. For some people, it is connected to overactive brain regions; for others, it may be tied to focus issues, stress, or past experiences. Understanding the “why” behind your symptoms makes a real difference in finding the right treatment.

At Amen Clinics, we practice holistic psychiatry, which combines cutting-edge neuroscience with natural ways to treat mental health disorders. Our thorough and detailed evaluation helps our clinicians practice precision medicine to craft more personalized, targeted treatment plans.

A Whole-Body Approach to Anxiety Management

Anxiety is not something that just affects your head. It also lives in your body. A whole-body approach to treating anxiety takes into account both your body and your brain. Treatment plans tend to include:

Nutrition that supports a stable mood and energy
Consistent sleep habits involving the quality and length of sleep
Regular movement, such as short walks and stretches
Stress regulation skills, like personalized breathing techniques
Therapy to address thought patterns and behaviors
Medication when it’s appropriate

When Anxiety Management Techniques Aren’t Enough

If you’ve already tried different combinations of these techniques, but it doesn’t seem to work, you may need to seek help from a qualified mental health professional.

If you are experiencing any of the following, it’s an indicator to take the next steps for support:

Persistent symptoms: You’ve tried multiple strategies, but the anxiety keeps coming back.
Interference with daily life: Your job, relationships, or basic tasks are starting to suffer.
Limited improvement: The techniques help a little, but the relief does not last.

When to Consider a Professional Evaluation for Anxiety

So, when do you know it’s time to get a professional evaluation for anxiety? Watch out for:

Symptoms that are ongoing or getting worse over time
Panic attacks that come out of nowhere
Difficulty functioning at work, school, or in relationships
Anxiety that co-occurs with depression, digestive issues, or chronic pain

Why Personalized Care Matters for Anxiety

There is no single one-size-fits-all solution to anxiety. Your brain patterns, history, and your body are unique to you. Hence, the treatment should also be unique and customized to diverse needs.

With the right interventions that address the root causes of anxiety, brain function can significantly improve, as well as your anxiety symptoms.

Managing Anxiety and Getting Support

Anxiety management techniques are a lifesaver when your brain is spinning. And when done consistently, they can be a long-term way to keep your anxiety in check. What helps even more is knowing the root cause of your anxiety so that you can customize management techniques depending on what you really need.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. If you’re looking for deeper answers beyond general management techniques, consider a comprehensive evaluation that looks beyond symptoms to understand your brain, body, and mind.

FAQ About Anxiety Management Techniques

What are the best anxiety management techniques?

Healing From Toxic Mold Exposure: One Woman’s Recovery Story

Thrive Agency — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:03:57 +0000

July 10, 2026
Anxiety and Depression, Memory Issues, SPECT Scans Case Study, Treatments

Healing From Toxic Mold Exposure: One Woman’s Recovery Story

TL;DR

Juanita Martin struggled with unexplained symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, and mood changes, but doctors couldn’t determine the cause.
After discovering toxic mold in her water-damaged home, she visited Amen Clinics, where brain SPECT imaging revealed patterns consistent with toxic exposure.
With mold remediation and a personalized brain health treatment plan, Juanita began healing physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Her story highlights how toxic mold exposure can affect both the body and brain, and how identifying the root cause can open the door to recovery and hope.

Medically reviewed by Mark Filidei, DO , Amen Clinics

Have you ever felt like something was wrong in your body, but no one could tell you what it was?

Symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, mood swings, and trouble concentrating can sometimes point to hidden issues such as toxic mold exposure. But for many people, the cause isn’t immediately obvious.

That was the reality for Juanita Martin. What began as a series of unexplained physical symptoms quickly spiraled into something much more disruptive. As her condition worsened, she found herself searching desperately for answers. Doctor visits, emergency room trips, and medical tests offered little clarity. No one could pinpoint the cause.

Over time, Juanita began to notice something else. Her symptoms were no longer just physical. They were affecting her mental and emotional well-being too.

Determined to get real answers, she decided enough was enough. She booked a visit to Amen Clinics to take a deeper look at what was happening in her brain.

This is her story or recovery.

“I started experiencing mysterious symptoms… doctors couldn’t figure it out,” says one woman who finally went to Amen Clinics for a brain scan, which showed signs of toxic mold exposure. Understanding the root cause of her issues was the first step in her healing journey.

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Discovering Toxic Mold

It was late 2019 when Juanita’s health began to unravel.

“I started experiencing mysterious symptoms… doctors couldn’t figure it out,” she says.

As time went on, the uncertainty about her condition became overwhelming. Not knowing what’s wrong can be just as distressing as the symptoms themselves.

After months of unexplained symptoms and failing to get the right help, something unexpected happened. “I discovered water damage near the baseboard of my floor. They discovered mold,” Juanita recalls. Suddenly, her world flipped upside down.

She realized she was experiencing mold toxicity symptoms. “I’ve heard of people having toxic mold exposure, but I didn’t know how, physiologically, it was affecting the body. I’m severely allergic to mold,” Juanita explains.

Juanita and her husband were forced to leave their home for five months so that the mold could be fully remediated.

What Is Toxic Mold?

There are so many types of molds. What is toxic mold?

Toxic mold refers to certain types of fungi that produce poisonous substances called mycotoxins. These molds often grow in damp, water-damaged environments, such as homes with leaks, flooding, or poor ventilation.

In terms of brain health, research suggests that exposure to toxic mold may trigger inflammation in the brain, interfere with the brain’s ability to produce healthy new brain cells, and contribute to problems with memory, concentration, mood, and emotional well-being.

Toxic mold exposure has been linked to a range of symptoms, including:

Brain fog, headaches, and memory problems
Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
Fatigue and chronic inflammation
Increased sensitivity to stress
Respiratory issues and skin irritation

Although black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is the most well-known, many types of mold can produce harmful toxins.

What Is a Mold Allergy?

A mold allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to mold spores that are normally harmless to most people. Symptoms can include coughing, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, congestion, wheezing, skin irritation, and trouble breathing.

Mold allergies are surprisingly common. Research estimates that between 3 and 10 out of every 100 people have them. People with asthma, respiratory conditions, or a family history of allergies may be at greater risk.

Juanita’s active brain scans show overactivity in the emotional and fear centers of the brain. In the surface scans, there are signs of low blood flow in the prefrontal cortex and a “scalloping” appearance consistent with toxic exposure. When seeing this pattern on SPECT scans, it leads Amen Clinics physicians to ask why the brain looks toxic and what might be causing it.

With this new insight, Juanita and her husband were able to begin personalized treatment plans designed to support their brains. By increasing blood flow and addressing the root cause, they were finally able to move forward into a healthier, happier chapter of their lives.

The Power of Brain Imaging: “I Wasn’t Going Crazy”

One of the most transformative moments came during brain SPECT imaging.

SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), is a specialized brain imaging technology that measures blood flow and activity patterns in the brain.

At Amen Clinics, SPECT scans are used to help identify areas of the brain that may be overactive or underactive, providing insights that can guide more personalized treatment plans for mental health, cognitive function, and behavioral issues.

In Juanita’s case, seeing her SPECT scan had a meaningful impact. For the first time, she could see what was happening in her brain as a result of the mold exposure. “I felt validated that it was literally in my head, and I wasn’t going crazy,” she says.

This is a powerful turning point for many patients. Brain imaging provides objective evidence of how the brain is functioning, helping to explain symptoms that may otherwise feel confusing or dismissed.

Research and clinical experience show that, in addition to toxic exposure, SPECT imaging can reveal brain patterns linked to other conditions including:

Anxiety and depression
Trauma
ADHD
Cognitive dysfunction

Instead of guessing based on symptoms alone, Amen Clinics’ clinicians take a whole-body approach to treatment that is based on looking at the entire person and all the factors that impact brain health and mental well-being.

Our clinicians use SPECT scan results, plus a personal health history that explores lifestyle factors, and other clinical assessments, which sometimes may require additional lab work, to closely examine all contributing factors and fully understand what might be happening in the body and brain.

Targeted treatment plans are then created based on what the brain actually needs.

How Toxic Exposure Affected More Than Health

For Juanita, the effects of exposure didn’t stop at physical toxic mold symptoms.

The ordeal also impacted her marriage.

Before understanding the root cause, she and her husband struggled in their interactions. But brain-based insights changed how they saw each other and reduced their marital conflict.

“It was like this little boy and this little girl trying to interact in adult bodies,” Juanita explains.

That shift in perspective created space for empathy, compassion, and healing.

When you understand that behavior is often driven by brain function, not character flaws, it becomes easier to:

Communicate more effectively
Reduce conflict
Support each other through challenges

This is one of the most powerful lessons from brain health work: relationships improve when understanding increases.

Healing Together: From Frustration to Connection

Feeling hope for the first time, the feeling of being stuck dissipated. Juanita and her husband began to move forward together. Juanita recalls that she felt, “We can walk through this together.”

With guidance and support, they learned how to:

Recognize how brain health impacts behavior
Respond to each other with empathy instead of frustration
Take steps toward healing as a team

Brain health and mental health issues don’t exist in isolation. They affect families, relationships, and daily life.

The collaborative healing process was powerful for the Martins.

Real Progress: Listening to the Brain and Body

With treatment at Amen Clinics, Juanita began to notice meaningful changes over time. “My flare-ups are less… I’m listening to my body and what my brain needs,” she says. She now has a brain health tool kit that she uses.

Her recovery wasn’t instant, but it has proved to be real and lasting.

Healing from toxic exposure and brain dysfunction often involves:

Identifying and removing environmental triggers
Supporting detoxification pathways
Optimizing brain health through nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle
Addressing emotional and cognitive patterns

This personalized, whole-person approach is key to long-term improvement.

Finding A Community of Support

Juanita’s journey didn’t end with treatment. It truly began a new chapter in her life filled with connection and purpose.

She joined the Amen Clinics Brain Warriors Alumni Network, a community where patients share experiences, encouragement, and hope.

“I want other people to know… they don’t have to stay stuck,” she says.

By hearing others’ stories and sharing her own, she feels a deep sense of gratitude and purpose that has enriched her life.

While Juanita’s healing began as symptom relief, it has become so much more.

A Safe Place to Heal

One theme stood out throughout Juanita’s experience at Amen Clinics: safety. She explains, “It was a safe space. I felt at home. I felt safe.”

When you’re dealing with complex, misunderstood symptoms, feeling safe and supported can mean everything.

At Amen Clinics, the goal is not just to treat symptoms, but to create an environment where healing can truly begin.

Have You Experienced Toxic Exposure?

If you’re struggling with unexplained symptoms, mood changes, or cognitive issues, this story carries an important message: you are not alone, and you are not out of options.

Sometimes, the root cause lies deeper than standard testing reveals. Whether it’s toxic exposure, brain dysfunction, or another underlying issue, identifying the cause is the first step toward healing.

As this patient’s journey shows:

Answers are possible
Healing is possible
And your brain can change—with the right support

A Hopeful Path Forward

By addressing the root causes of symptoms, including environmental toxic mold exposure, Amen Clinics provides a comprehensive, science-backed path to recovery.

With tools like brain SPECT imaging, personalized treatment plans, and ongoing support, patients can move from confusion and frustration to clarity and hope.

FAQ About Toxic Mold Exposure and Brain Health

What is toxic mold?

Can Childhood Trauma Be Seen on a Brain Scan? What New Study Says

Thrive Agency — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:03:33 +0000

July 9, 2026
Child Psychiatry, SPECT Scans Case Study

Can Childhood Trauma Be Seen on a Brain Scan? What New Study Says

TL;DR:

Study shows childhood trauma can show up in the brain. Higher numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were linked to measurable patterns on SPECT scans.
More adversity was associated with increased activity in brain networks tied to overthinking and emotional regulation.
Higher ACE scores were also linked to lower activity in regions involved in motivation, decision-making, and follow-through.
People with more childhood adversity had higher risk for anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
Different types of trauma may be linked to different mental health outcomes.
These findings show increased risk, not certainty or destiny.
Brain-based insights may help guide more personalized, effective treatment.
Healing is possible. Your brain can change with the right support and care.

Medically reviewed by Steven Storage, MD, Amen Clinics.

Many adults struggle with anxiety, depression, or substance use without fully understanding why. If this sounds familiar, your past may hold important clues. A growing body of research is helping answer a powerful question: can childhood trauma be seen on a brain scan?

At Amen Clinics, a large study of adult patients found that higher levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, were linked to clear, measurable patterns in brain function on SPECT imaging. These brain changes were also associated with a greater likelihood of conditions like anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.

In this article, you’ll learn what ACEs are, what brain SPECT scans reveal about the lasting impact of childhood trauma, and why these findings offer new hope for healing and personalized treatment.

Having a high number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases your risk for mental health issues. Although your past may help explain your struggles, it doesn’t have to limit your future.

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What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. These early experiences can shape how your brain develops, how you respond to stress, and how you relate to others later in life.

Understanding ACEs is an important first step in recognizing how your past may still be influencing your present, and how healing is possible.

ACEs Include Abuse, Neglect, and Household Instability

ACEs generally fall into three main categories: abuse, neglect, and household challenges.

Abuse can be physical, emotional, or sexual.
Neglect may involve a lack of emotional support, supervision, or basic physical needs.
Household instability includes growing up in environments with substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, parental separation, or incarceration.

These experiences don’t just affect emotions in the moment. They can influence how the brain develops and functions over time.

Why ACE Scores Matter Later in Life

Researchers often measure ACEs using a simple score based on how many of these experiences a person has had. The higher your ACE score, the greater the potential impact on your long-term health.

Decades of research, including the latest findings from Amen Clinics, show that higher ACE scores are associated with increased rates of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.

One study on twins found that individuals who were exposed to more ACEs had a higher risk of mental disorders compared with their twin who had lower ACE scores.

Studies show that higher ACE scores are also linked to a higher risk of physical health problems, from heart disease to chronic inflammation.

The new research builds on this foundation by showing that these early experiences are not just psychological, but they are also reflected in measurable patterns of brain function.

ACEs Raise Risk, But They Do Not Define Your Future

It’s important to be clear: ACEs increase risk, but they do not determine your destiny.

Even though the study found strong associations between higher ACE scores, brain changes, and mental health challenges, these findings are not a life sentence. Your brain has the ability to change and heal. This concept is known as neuroplasticity.

With the right support, targeted treatment, and brain-healthy habits, you can improve how your brain functions and how you feel. Your past may help explain your struggles, but it doesn’t have to limit your future.

Video: Overcoming the Lasting Impact of Childhood Trauma: ACE Scores & EMDR Therapy

How Childhood Trauma May Increase Risk for Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Use

Brain scan findings are important, but what matters most is how they connect to real life. This study helps bridge that gap by showing how early adversity is linked not only to brain patterns, but also to increased risk for common mental health challenges.

Anxiety Disorders Increased with Higher ACE Scores

The study found that higher ACE scores were associated with increased rates of anxiety-related disorders.

This aligns with what many people experience, such as chronic worry, heightened stress responses, or feeling on edge. The brain patterns identified in the scans may help explain why individuals with a history of childhood adversity are more prone to anxiety later in life.

Depression Diagnoses Also Increased

In addition to anxiety, higher ACE scores were also linked to greater rates of depression-related diagnoses.

These findings are consistent with prior research showing that early life stress can affect mood regulation, motivation, and emotional resilience. The changes observed in brain function may contribute to symptoms such as low mood, lack of energy, and difficulty experiencing pleasure.

Substance Use Risk Rose as ACE Scores Increased

The study also found that as ACE scores increased, so did the risk for addictions. This included associations with substance abuse, substance dependence, alcohol-related disorders, and nicotine-related disorders.

For some individuals, substances may become a way to cope with emotional pain, regulate stress, or temporarily quiet an overactive mind.

What Types of Childhood Adversity Were Linked to Which Adult Outcomes?

Not all childhood experiences affect the brain in the same way. One of the most useful insights from this study is that different types of adversity were linked to different adult mental health outcomes. This adds a more personalized understanding of risk.

Substance Abuse in the Household Was Linked to Later Substance-Related Diagnoses

The study found that exposure to substance abuse in the household during childhood was specifically associated with a higher likelihood of substance-related diagnoses in adulthood.

This includes patterns such as substance abuse, dependence, and alcohol- or nicotine-related disorders. Early exposure may shape how the brain responds to reward, stress, and coping, potentially increasing vulnerability to similar behaviors later in life.

Psychological Abuse and Household Mental Illness Were Linked to Depression-Related Diagnoses

The findings also showed that psychological abuse and growing up in a household with mental illness were linked to higher rates of depression-related diagnoses.

These types of experiences may have a strong impact on emotional development, self-perception, and stress regulation, which can carry forward into adulthood as persistent low mood, negative thinking patterns, or reduced resilience.

Can Childhood Trauma Be Seen on a Brain Scan?

For many people, trauma can feel invisible, something that lives only in memories or emotions. But growing research is helping answer an important question: can childhood trauma be seen on a brain scan? The answer is increasingly clear: yes, it can.

This Study Used Brain SPECT Imaging in a Large Adult Clinical Cohort

In one of the largest adult clinical cohorts of its kind, researchers at Amen Clinics used brain SPECT imaging to examine how early life experiences relate to adult brain function.

SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) measures blood flow and activity patterns in the brain, offering insights into how different regions are working.

In this study, scans were taken under both resting conditions and during concentration tasks, providing a more complete picture of brain function in everyday life.

By combining brain imaging data with patients’ ACE scores, researchers were able to explore how childhood adversity may be reflected in the adult brain.

The Findings Suggest Childhood Adversity Leaves Measurable Adult Brain Patterns

The results showed a clear pattern: higher ACE scores were associated with distinct differences in brain perfusion (blood flow) across several key brain systems.

These patterns were not random. Instead, they appeared in areas involved in:

Emotional regulation
Cognitive control and decision-making
Stress response and threat detection

In other words, early adversity wasn’t just linked to how people felt, it was connected to how their brains functioned. The findings suggest that childhood trauma may leave measurable, lasting signatures in the brain that persist into adulthood.

Why This Matters

These findings are powerful because they validate something many people have long felt but couldn’t explain.

If you’ve struggled with anxiety, depression, or impulsivity, it is not a personal failing. It may reflect how your brain adapted to early stress. Brain imaging shows that these challenges can have a biological basis, not just an emotional one.

That shift in understanding matters. It reduces stigma and self-blame, supports more accurate diagnosis, and opens the door to targeted, brain-based treatments that focus on healing root causes.

2024 Study on ACEs: Key Findings at a Glance

Finding	Brain Areas Involved	What It May Mean in Real Life
Higher ACE scores were linked to more activity	Cognitive control network and default mode network	May reflect increased internal focus, overthinking, or difficulty regulating thoughts and emotions—patterns often seen in anxiety and rumination
Higher ACE scores were linked to less activity	Dorsal striatum and cerebellum	May be associated with challenges in motivation, decision-making, coordination, and follow-through
Higher ACE scores were linked to increased mental health risk	Whole-brain patterns affecting emotional and cognitive systems	Higher likelihood of anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders

What This Study Does and Does Not Mean

When you read research like this, it’s easy to jump to conclusions. This section helps clarify what the findings actually show, and just as importantly, what they don’t.

It Does Not Mean Childhood Trauma Damages Every Brain in the Same Way

The study identified patterns across a large group of people, not a single outcome that applies to everyone.

Higher ACE scores were linked to certain brain activity patterns, but individual brains vary widely.

Genetics, environment, resilience factors, and lifestyle all play a role in how the brain develops and adapts. Two people with similar childhood experiences may have very different brain patterns and life outcomes.

It Does Not Mean Adult Mental Health Problems Are Inevitable

Although the study found increased risk for anxiety, depression, and substance use, this does not mean these outcomes are guaranteed.

Risk is not destiny. Many people with high ACE scores never develop mental health conditions, especially when they have protective factors such as supportive relationships, healthy habits, and access to effective care.

It Does Suggest That Early Pain Can Leave Lasting, Measurable Effects on Adult Brain Function

What the study does show, clearly and consistently, is that early adversity can be linked to lasting changes in how the brain functions.

These effects are measurable using tools like SPECT imaging, and they help explain why some people may feel more vulnerable to stress, emotional challenges, or certain behaviors later in life.

Why Seeing the Brain May Help Change the Conversation

Understanding how childhood adversity affects the brain can shift the way we think about mental health — from blame and guesswork to clarity and personalized care.

Symptoms Alone Do Not Tell the Whole Story

Two people can have similar symptoms, such as anxiety, low mood, or trouble focusing, but very different underlying brain patterns.

Without looking at the brain, it’s easy to assume the same treatment will work for everyone. But symptoms are only part of the picture. They don’t always reveal what’s happening in the brain systems driving those experiences.

Functional Imaging May Help Identify the Brain Systems Most Affected

This is where functional imaging, like SPECT, may offer additional insight. By measuring blood flow and activity, it can help identify which brain regions are overactive, underactive, or not working efficiently.

Better Information May Support More Personalized Care

When clinicians have a clearer understanding of how a person’s brain is functioning, it may support more personalized and effective care.

Rather than relying solely on symptom checklists, treatment can be tailored to the individual’s specific brain patterns, history, and needs.

While more research is always needed, this approach reflects a growing shift toward precision mental health, where better information leads to better outcomes.

Can the Effects of Childhood Trauma on the Brain Be Changed?

If childhood trauma can leave lasting effects on the brain, the next question is just as important: can those effects be improved? The encouraging answer is that the brain is capable of change, especially when the right strategies are in place.

The Study Supports Targeted, Personalized Care for People with High ACE Scores

The findings from this study point toward the value of personalized care. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, this type of care considers your history, symptoms, and brain function together. This more comprehensive view may help guide more precise and meaningful interventions.

Trauma-Informed Therapy and Brain-Based Interventions May Help

The study’s discussion highlights several approaches that may be helpful as part of a personalized care plan. These include trauma-informed therapies as well as brain-based interventions, such as:

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
Neurofeedback

These approaches are not guarantees, but they reflect promising directions that aim to support both emotional healing and healthier brain function. The goal is to help the brain become more balanced, flexible, and resilient over time.

How Amen Clinics Looks at Trauma Differently

Understanding the impact of trauma is only part of the story. What truly matters is how that information is used to help people heal. At Amen Clinics, the focus is on looking deeper, at the brain itself, to guide more effective care.

We Do Psychiatry Differently by Looking at the Brain

At Amen Clinics, we believe mental health is brain health. Instead of relying solely on symptom checklists, our approach focuses on evaluating and treating the organ involved: the brain.

This brain-based perspective helps shift the conversation away from labels and toward understanding what may actually be happening beneath the surface.

Personalized Care Starts with Better Information

When we have more complete information about your brain, your history, and your symptoms, we can create a more targeted plan for healing.

At Amen Clinics, this means combining brain imaging with a comprehensive evaluation of biological, psychological, and lifestyle factors. The goal is to develop personalized care plans that support the health of your brain, body, and mind—because no two people are exactly alike.

Final Takeaway: Childhood Trauma May Leave Lasting Patterns in the Adult Brain

This research offers a clearer picture of how early life experiences can shape the brain in lasting ways. Higher ACE scores were linked to measurable differences in adult brain activity, especially in systems involved in:

Emotional regulation
Cognitive control and decision-making
Stress response and threat detection

These patterns were also associated with a higher risk for anxiety-related disorders, depression, and substance use.

At the same time, these findings are not a life sentence. Perhaps the most important takeaway is this: your brain is not fixed. Even if you experienced significant adversity early in life, change is possible. With the right support, healthy habits, and targeted interventions, many people see meaningful improvements in how they think, feel, and function.

Your past may help explain your struggles, but it doesn’t have to define your future.

FAQs About Childhood Trauma, ACE Scores, and Brain Scans

Can childhood trauma be seen on a brain scan?

Pediatric Depression: Different Brains in Boys vs Girls

Thrive Agency — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:37:13 +0000

July 1, 2026
Child Psychiatry, Depression, SPECT Scans Case Study

Pediatric Depression: Different Brains in Boys vs Girls

TL;DR

Pediatric depression is not one-size-fits-all. Brain scans show it can look different in boys vs. girls.
A 2023 SPECT study found boys and girls have different brain activity patterns when depressed.
Boys: higher activity in cerebellar, occipital, parietal, and temporal regions.
Girls: higher activity in cingulate, vermis, and subcortical areas.
These differences may help explain why symptoms and coping styles vary between teens with depression.
Brain imaging doesn’t diagnose depression alone, but it can reveal underlying patterns.
Understanding the brain can support more personalized, effective treatment in childhood depression.

Medically reviewed by Daniel Emina, MD, Amen Clinics.

Why can depression look so different from one child to another, even when both have the same diagnosis?

One child may seem withdrawn and tearful, while another is irritable, restless, or struggling to focus. For parents, this can be confusing and frustrating. If it’s all called “depression,” why doesn’t it look the same?

Emerging research using pediatric depression brain scan technology is helping answer that question. A fascinating study using brain SPECT imaging found meaningful differences in how boys’ and girls’ brains function when they’re depressed.

The differences were specifically in patterns of blood flow and activity across key brain regions. These findings suggest that depression may not be a one-size-fits-all condition, especially in children and teens.

In this blog, you’ll learn three important things: what the brain scans revealed, how boys’ and girls’ depression patterns differed, and why these differences matter when it comes to choosing the most effective treatment.

A brain scan study shows that boys and girls with depression have wildly different brains. This is why a one-size-fits-all approach to pediatric depression often falls short.

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Can a Brain Scan Show Depression in Kids?

A brain scan isn’t typically used as a stand-alone tool to diagnose depression, but it can reveal patterns of brain activity associated with mental health conditions.

When combined with a full clinical evaluation, it can provide valuable insight into what’s happening in a child’s brain.

Depression in Children and Teens Is Real and Biological

Depression in children and teens is not just a phase, a personality issue, or something they can simply “snap out of.” It is a real medical condition rooted in the brain.

Research shows that depression is associated with measurable biological changes, including differences in how certain brain regions function. This is where brain imaging becomes especially valuable.

At Amen Clinics, brain SPECT imaging has helped identify distinct patterns of activity linked to depression, reinforcing the idea that mental health challenges are brain health issues, not character flaws.

Understanding this can be a powerful shift for families. When you see depression as a brain-based condition, it opens the door to more targeted, compassionate, and effective care for your child.

SPECT Looks at Brain Blood Flow and Activity Patterns

SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) is a type of brain imaging that measures blood flow and activity levels in the brain.

Why does that matter? Because blood flow is closely tied to how active different parts of the brain are. Areas with too much or too little activity can influence mood, energy, focus, and emotional regulation, all of which are affected in depression.

By looking at these patterns, SPECT scans provide insight into how a child’s brain is functioning, not just how they appear on the outside. This makes it a valuable tool for understanding the underlying differences in pediatric depression, including why symptoms can vary so widely from one child to another.

Brain Scans Should Be Part of a Comprehensive Clinical Diagnosis

While brain scans offer important insights, they are not a stand-alone diagnostic tool. A thorough evaluation should always include a detailed clinical history, symptom assessment, and other relevant medical information.

That said, adding brain imaging can make a meaningful difference. Research shows that incorporating SPECT imaging into a traditional psychiatric evaluation leads to a change in diagnosis and/or treatment plan in nearly 79 percent of cases.

This highlights how looking at the brain can uncover critical information that might otherwise be missed.

When used as part of a comprehensive whole-body approach, brain imaging helps clinicians move beyond guesswork, supporting more personalized, effective care for children with depression.

What Do These Brain Regions Do?

To make sense of these findings, it helps to understand what these brain areas actually do. Each region plays a role in how your child thinks, feels, and responds to the world, so differences in activity can shape how depression shows up in daily life.

The Cingulum Helps with Emotional Processing and Self-Regulation

The cingulum (or cingulate gyrus) is deeply involved in emotional processing and self-regulation. It helps your child shift attention, manage emotional responses, and adapt to changing situations.

When this area is more active, it may be linked to increased focus on negative thoughts, emotional sensitivity, or difficulty letting go of distressing feelings. This can sometimes show up as rumination, mood swings, or feeling “stuck” emotionally.

Subcortical Areas Influence Mood, Reactivity, and Motivation

Subcortical regions are located deeper in the brain and play a key role in basic emotional responses, motivation, and energy levels.

These areas help regulate how your child reacts to stress, experiences pleasure, and initiates action. Changes in activity here may be associated with low motivation, irritability, emotional reactivity, or a reduced ability to feel enjoyment. These are common features of depression in kids and teens.

The Cerebellum and Vermis Do More Than Movement

The cerebellum is often thought of as the brain’s coordination center, but it also plays an important role in emotional regulation, attention, and cognitive processing. The vermis, a structure within the cerebellum, is particularly involved in mood and emotional balance.

Differences in these areas may influence how a child regulates emotions, processes information, or responds to stress. This helps explain why depression isn’t just about feeling sad. It can also affect focus, behavior, and overall functioning.

Occipital, Parietal, and Temporal Areas Affect Perception, Attention, and Processing

These regions are responsible for how your child interprets and interacts with the world around them.

The occipital lobe processes visual information
The parietal lobe helps with attention and sensory integration
The temporal lobe supports memory, language, and emotional meaning

When activity differs in these areas, it may affect how a child perceives situations, focuses attention, or processes experiences. In depression, this could show up as difficulty concentrating, feeling overwhelmed by surroundings, or interpreting events in a more negative way.

Together, these brain regions help explain why depression can look so different from one child to another. And they show why understanding the brain can offer valuable clues for more personalized care.

What the 2023 Pediatric Depression SPECT Study Found

The 2023 brain-imaging study using SPECT scans took a closer look at how depression shows up in the brains of children and teens. The findings revealed clear differences in blood flow patterns between boys and girls.

The Study Compared 140 Females and 241 Males with Depression

To better understand how depression may differ between boys and girls, researchers analyzed brain SPECT scans from a large pediatric sample. The study included 140 females and 241 males, all diagnosed with depression, with average ages of about 14.5 for girls and 13.8 for boys.

By comparing cerebral blood flow across multiple brain regions, researchers were able to look for meaningful differences in how depression shows up in the brain.

Boys Showed Higher Blood Flow in Several Brain Regions

The scans revealed that boys with depression had higher blood flow in several areas of the brain, including:

Cerebellum
Occipital lobes
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe

These regions are involved in functions like coordination, visual processing, sensory integration, and aspects of attention and perception. This suggests that depression in boys may involve different functional patterns than previously assumed.

Girls Showed Higher Blood Flow in Other Key Regions

In contrast, girls with depression showed higher blood flow in a different set of brain regions, including:

Cingulum
Vermis (a central part of the cerebellum)
Subcortical areas deeper within the brain

These regions are closely tied to emotional processing, mood regulation, motivation, and reactivity. These areas are often associated with internal emotional experience.

Brain Differences in Boys vs. Girls with Depression
Boys With Depression	Girls With Depression
Higher Blood Flow In:	Higher Blood Flow In:
Cerebellum	Cingulum
Occipital lobes	Vermis (central cerebellum)
Parietal lobe	Subcortical areas (deep brain regions)
Temporal lobe
What These Areas Do:	What These Areas Do:
Coordination & timing	Emotional processing
Visual processing	Mood regulation
Sensory integration	Motivation & drive
Attention & perception	Emotional reactivity

These Are Not Small Differences, They Suggest Different Brain Patterns

Importantly, these findings don’t mean that boys and girls have completely different “types” of depression. Rather, they point to distinct patterns of cerebral blood flow within the same diagnosis.

This distinction matters. It suggests that what looks like the same condition on the surface may be driven by different underlying brain processes. And that may help explain why symptoms, coping styles, and even treatment responses can vary from one child to another.

Why Boys and Girls May Experience Depression Differently

If you’ve ever wondered why depression can look so different from one child to another, these brain findings offer an important clue. The way depression shows up isn’t just about behavior, it may reflect what’s happening in different parts of the brain.

The Same Diagnosis Can Have Different Brain Patterns

One of the most important takeaways from this research is that the same diagnosis of depression can involve different brain patterns.

Two children may both be diagnosed with depression, yet have very different activity levels in key brain regions. That means their symptoms, challenges, and even what helps them feel better may not be the same.

This is why a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health often falls short. When you understand the brain, you begin to see why individualized care matters so much.

These Differences May Help Explain Differences in Coping

The study also suggests that these brain differences may be related to how boys and girls cope with depressive symptoms.

For example, differences in brain activity tied to emotional processing, reactivity, or attention may influence whether a child tends to internalize distress or express it outwardly.

While every child is unique, these patterns may help explain why some kids withdraw and others become more reactive or behaviorally challenged when they’re struggling.

Why Symptoms May Look Different Across Sexes

Because different brain systems may be more involved, depression doesn’t always look the way people expect.

Some children may appear quiet, withdrawn, or low-energy. Others may seem irritable, restless, or easily frustrated. Some may struggle with focus and thinking clearly, while others feel overwhelmed by emotions they can’t easily regulate.

These differences don’t mean one child is “more depressed” than another. They simply reflect different ways the brain is affected.

Understanding this can help parents, caregivers, and clinicians respond with more clarity, compassion, and the right kind of support.

Could These Differences Affect Treatment Response?

One of the most important questions raised by this research is whether these brain differences could offer a reason why depression treatments don’t work the same way for every child.

The 2023 SPECT study suggests that sex differences in cerebral blood flow may play a role in how individuals respond to treatments, such as antidepressant medications and other therapeutic options.

This supports a broader shift in how we think about depression care. Rather than relying on trial-and-error or one-size-fits-all approaches, understanding the brain may help guide more personalized treatment planning.

At its core, this study reinforces a simple but powerful idea: when you look at the brain, you get better information. And better information can lead to more targeted, effective care.

What This Study Does and Does Not Mean

Research like this can be exciting, but it’s important to understand it in the right context. These findings offer valuable insight into pediatric depression, but they don’t tell the whole story.

Here’s how to think about what this study means:

It does not mean boys’ and girls’ depressed brains are completely different. The study found differences in blood flow in certain regions, not that their brains function in opposite ways overall.
It does not mean sex alone explains depression. Many factors contribute to depression in children and teens, including family history, hormones, trauma, stress, sleep, and overall health. Brain patterns are just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
It does suggest that pediatric depression may involve sex-specific brain patterns. These differences in how the brain functions could help explain variations in symptoms and may eventually support more personalized approaches to care.

Taken together, this study adds an important layer of understanding: depression is complex, and looking at the brain can help us better understand that complexity without oversimplifying it.

How Amen Clinics Looks at Pediatric Depression Differently

At Amen Clinics, we view pediatric depression as a brain-based condition. And research like this reinforces that it may affect boys and girls in different ways.

That’s why we focus on understanding the underlying brain patterns driving each child’s symptoms, rather than relying on a standardized approach.

We Do Psychiatry Differently by Looking at the Brain

At Amen Clinics, we do psychiatry differently by looking at the brain. Instead of guessing based on symptoms alone, we use objective data to better understand how the brain is functioning.

This approach helps shift the conversation from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what’s going on in your brain?” This can be more accurate, more compassionate, and more effective.

Brain SPECT Imaging Can Reveal Different Depression Patterns

Brain SPECT imaging allows us to see patterns of blood flow and activity associated with different types of depression and other mental health conditions in children and teens.

These patterns can vary widely from one teen to another., which offers a potential reason why symptoms and responses to treatment are not always the same.

Personalized Care Starts with Better Information

When you have better information about how a child’s brain is working, you can create a more targeted and individualized treatment plan.

At Amen Clinics, this brain-based, whole-body approach helps guide care that is tailored to each child’s unique needs. This supports better outcomes and a clearer path forward for families.

Final Takeaway: Pediatric Depression May Not Look the Same in Boys and Girls

Depression in children and teens is often treated as a single condition, but this research suggests it may not be that simple. The 2023 SPECT analysis found that boys and girls with depression can show different patterns of brain activity, including higher cingulate and subcortical activity in girls and higher cerebellar, occipital, parietal, and temporal activity in boys.

These findings don’t change the diagnosis, but they do deepen our understanding of it. When depression involves different brain patterns, it may also require different approaches to care.

The bigger takeaway is this: pediatric depression is not the same for every child. Looking at the brain can help explain why symptoms vary and support a more personalized, brain-based path to healing for every child.

FAQ About Pediatric Depression, Sex Differences, and Brain Scans

Can a brain scan show depression in kids?

Schizophrenia’s Brain Network Secrets Now Visible on SPECT

Thrive Agency — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:40:20 +0000

June 29, 2026
Brain SPECT Imaging, Uncategorized

Schizophrenia’s Brain Network Secrets Now Visible on SPECT

TL; DR

A new study from Dr. Amen and colleagues found that schizophrenia involves widespread breakdowns in how major brain networks communicate with each other, not just isolated problems in one brain region.
Using an advanced automated analysis method, researchers identified disruptions in fifteen brain networks tied to cognitive control, hearing, self-awareness, emotion, and internal thought processing. Importantly, the findings closely matched years of prior fMRI research.
The groundbreaking study applied sophisticated fMRI-style network analysis to SPECT imaging, a tool already used in real-world clinical settings. Traditionally, SPECT has focused on blood flow in specific brain regions, but this research shows it may also help visualize large-scale brain network dysfunction in schizophrenia.
The findings suggest brain-network disruptions may now be more visible and measurable than ever before, potentially leading to more personalized, brain-based approaches to evaluation, treatment, and future research.

Medically reviewed by Steven Storage, MD, Amen Clinics.

Despite growing awareness of mental health conditions, schizophrenia often still befuddles patients and mental health professionals alike. And this condition is not uncommon: A meta-analysis released in 2026 found that the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia is 0.62% in the general population and 10.02% in homeless populations.

Schizophrenia symptoms can be confusing, inconsistent, and highly individualized. Meanwhile, standard diagnosis still relies heavily on conventional methods such as observing symptoms and conducting interviews. The good news is, cutting-edge tools such as brain SPECT scans may help.

Can a brain scan show schizophrenia? Promising new research indicates that tools such as SPECT can help when used as part of a comprehensive analysis. When researchers employed a fully automated, fMRI-guided SPECT method, they found widespread brain-network disruptions in schizophrenia that match the patterns fMRI researchers have reported for years.

In this blog, you will learn what brain networks were shown as disrupted in schizophrenia cases, why SPECT is useful in a clinical setting, and how observing these patterns can guide more personalized, brain-based care.

In cases of schizophrenia, researchers have observed that the brain doesn’t only have isolated problems in one spot—instead, there are widespread communication issues across networks.

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Can a Brain Scan Show Schizophrenia?

Like any mental health condition, schizophrenia is a complicated disorder with many potential contributing factors. Moreover, schizophrenia spectrum disorders often overlap with other mental health conditions, making accurate diagnosis and treatment even more complex. But SPECT has long been used as a tool for complex cases, and it differs from other brain scans, such as functional MRI (fMRI).

In this new research, fully automated SPECT analysis found fifteen brain networks disrupted in schizophrenia, especially those involved in cognitive control and default mode functioning. The patterns mirror what fMRI researchers have documented for years, but SPECT makes them visible in everyday clinical settings.

How SPECT shows schizophrenia brain networks points to promising possibilities for the future of schizophrenia diagnosis, effective care, and further research

Schizophrenia Still Has No Single Diagnostic Biomarker

Schizophrenia remains a complex disorder with no consensus biomarker, method, or test that uniquely identifies it. But researchers have long used brain scans like fMRI and SPECT to understand how the brain works in individuals with mental health conditions.

These tools can be used together. The fMRI scan looks at changes in oxygen levels in the blood to map brain activity and has been especially helpful in identifying “brain networks,” which are groups of regions that work together. SPECT, on the other hand, measures blood flow in the brain, which is another way of seeing how different areas of the brain are working (or not working well).

Both methods show that brain activity is closely tied to behavior and symptoms. Historically, however, fMRI has been used primarily to study whole-brain networks, while SPECT has more often focused on activity changes within specific brain regions.

What does schizophrenia look like on a brain scan? In cases of schizophrenia, researchers have observed that the brain doesn’t only have isolated problems in one spot. Instead, there are widespread communication issues across networks.

These patterns correspond to common schizophrenia symptoms. Individuals with this condition may experience symptoms such as:

Hallucinations (hearing voices, seeing things, or feeling tactile sensations that aren’t there)
Delusions
Agitated or abnormal body movements
Disorganized speech, thinking, and/or behavior
Decreased sense of pleasure in life
Trouble initiating and following through with activities, even self-care
Difficulty maintaining relationships and social withdrawal
Speaking less and/or emotional flatness
Decreased executive function (processing incoming information, decision-making, etc.)
Difficulty with concentration, focus, and memory

People with schizophrenia may not be aware they have a mental health disorder. In addition, there are five subtypes of schizophrenia, and a person can shift from one subtype to another during the course of the condition.

Brain Imaging Can Reveal Real Biological Patterns

Despite years of research, there’s still no single biomarker or definitive biological test that can diagnose schizophrenia. Scientists are exploring whether patterns in brain activity, especially how brain networks connect and communicate, could eventually help.

Brain imaging is not a standalone diagnostic shortcut, but it can reveal meaningful differences in brain function, connectivity, and perfusion (blood flow) that help researchers and clinicians better understand the disorder. This new SPECT study points toward possible biomarkers for schizophrenia, including disrupted blood flow and altered brain network connectivity.

The study aimed to close an important gap by applying a modern, automated network-analysis method—originally developed for fMRI—to SPECT scans. The goal was to see whether SPECT could detect the same types of network disruptions that fMRI researchers have identified for years, especially in areas involved in hearing, internal thought processes, and deeper brain structures.

Why does this matter for patients and families? It reinforces an important truth: schizophrenia symptoms are real, biological, and increasingly visible in the brain. This approach could make it easier to study brain network problems in everyday clinical settings and move researchers closer to a more precise, biology-based understanding of this often misunderstood condition.

What the New SPECT Study Found

Here are the exciting finding in the new SPECT study.

Researchers Used an Automated, fMRI-Guided SPECT Method

Advanced analysis tools allowed researchers to break brain activity down into different networks and examine how those networks communicate with each other. These methods have been widely used in fMRI research for years and are now being applied to SPECT scans in more advanced and clinically useful ways.

In this study, the research team used a sophisticated automated system to map brain networks from SPECT scans using patterns previously identified through fMRI research. Earlier brain-imaging studies had already linked schizophrenia symptoms to disrupted communication in areas involved in language, memory, perception, and internal thought processing.

For example, brain regions involved in hearing and language often function differently in people who experience auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices. SPECT studies have also shown changes in blood flow during hallucinations, reinforcing that these symptoms are connected to real, measurable brain activity. Seeing the biological underpinnings associated with the disorder can help reduce stigma and unnecessary shame surrounding the condition for both patients and their families.

15 Brain Components Showed Significant Differences

The recent study found differences in fifteen brain network components when researchers compared healthy controls to people with schizophrenia. The most significant disruptions involved networks tied to cognitive control, the default mode network, auditory processing, and deeper subcortical brain regions.

Specifically, the study found abnormal communication between:

Cognitive control and subcortical networks
Cognitive control and auditory networks
Default mode network-auditory

In simple terms, the researchers examined how different parts of the brain communicate with each other while the brain is at rest. In people with schizophrenia, many of these networks showed weaker coordination and reduced connectivity. This was especially pronounced in areas of hearing, attention, self-awareness, and internal thought processing.

The study also identified disruptions in:

The default mode network, which is involved in self-awareness and internal mental activity
The superior temporal gyrus, a brain region important for hearing and language comprehension
Subcortical networks, which help regulate deeper brain functions tied to emotion, motivation, and behavior

Taken together, the findings suggest that the brain’s major communication systems were not working together properly in the schizophrenia group. Importantly, these SPECT findings closely mirrored patterns previously identified in fMRI studies, further validating the results and strengthening the biological understanding of schizophrenia.

What Are Brain Networks, and Why Do They Matter in Schizophrenia?

Brain networks are groups of regions that work together. The brain does not operate in one spot at a time; it runs through coordinated systems that are connected and communicating. When network communication breaks down, symptoms can appear.

In schizophrenia, this network disruption can be associated with symptoms such as hallucinations, disorganized thinking, poor attention, social withdrawal, and cognitive problems. As outlined in the symptoms listed above, schizophrenia can involve positive and negative symptoms, as well as cognitive impairment.

Why Network-Level Problems Matter More Than Looking at One Region Alone

This study is particularly valuable because SPECT-enabled network analysis can better capture a picture of the brain’s dysfunction. Older, region-by-region approaches to brain analysis may miss these patterns. Understanding the patterns is critical to developing effective treatment.

What the Cognitive Control Network Does and What Happens When It Is Disrupted

Why are these key networks relevant? The cognitive control network helps with focus, planning, and self-monitoring. When this network is not working well, thinking can feel scattered or slower. This connects with common schizophrenia-related cognitive difficulties.

Why the New Study’s Cognitive Control Findings Matter

The study found altered co-variation involving cognitive control connections in the resting brain, as well as cognitive control-default mode relationships in rest-task comparisons. This means that the brain at rest and during tasks—and how they correspond to each other—was not behaving as expected.

What the Default Mode Network May Reveal About Internal Focus and Mental Noise

The brain’s default mode network is usually active during internal thought. But in schizophrenia, default mode disruption has been seen for years in fMRI research. This recent study’s results fits within prior schizophrenia and fMRI network findings.

Why Seeing Similar Patterns on SPECT Matters

This study confirms that what had often been noted through fMRI research may now be more visible by using a SPECT-based approach. And obtaining more information through SPECT can contribute to more accurate schizophrenia diagnosis and treatment.

Why SPECT Could Make Schizophrenia Network Problems More Clinically Visible

Until now, fMRI has dominated research on brain networks and how different regions communicate with each other. These studies have played a major role in identifying the widespread “disconnectivity” patterns often seen in schizophrenia.

SPECT Measures Perfusion, Which Reflects Physiological Activity

SPECT imaging measures cerebral blood flow, also called perfusion, which reflects how active different parts of the brain are. It does this using a safe radioactive tracer called technetium that allows clinicians to visualize patterns of brain activity.

What makes this study especially important is that it shows SPECT may now be able to do more than identify overactive or underactive brain regions. Researchers demonstrated that advanced network-analysis methods, previously used mostly in fMRI research, can also be applied to SPECT scans to examine how large-scale brain systems communicate with each other.

This is a major step forward because fMRI has traditionally been the primary tool for studying brain network dysfunction in schizophrenia, but it is used mainly in research settings. SPECT, on the other hand, is already widely used in clinical practice to evaluate brain function and blood flow.

By combining advanced network analysis with SPECT imaging, researchers may now be able to study brain communication patterns in more practical, real-world clinical settings. In schizophrenia, this could help clinicians better understand how major brain systems work together, or fail to work together, behind symptoms such as hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and cognitive impairment.

Why That Could Matter in Real Clinical Settings

Can a brain scan show schizophrenia? In light of these recent findings, SPECT may become a useful complement to existing imaging research and clinical assessment, but not a replacement for clinical judgment. The study calls SPECT a useful complement to existing fMRI research in finding possible biomarkers for schizophrenia.

How Brain Network Disruption May Help Explain Schizophrenia Symptoms

Scans can show the underlying physical reality behind a client’s lived experience, illustrating how brain patterns can be associated with different symptoms.

For example, network problems may help explain disorganized thinking; the new study reports its associations with disjointed thoughts. Meanwhile, some patterns were linked to hearing voices.

Why Symptoms Can Look Different From Person to Person

Schizophrenia appears differently among different individuals, which complicates diagnosis and treatment. But this study points to the ways in which different network disruptions may create different symptom mixes and levels of cognitive difficulty.

What Makes This Study Different From Older SPECT Research?

Earlier SPECT studies typically examined brain activity one region at a time, focusing mainly on blood flow changes in specific areas of the brain. Researchers often analyzed these scans using voxel-by-voxel mapping, a method that breaks the brain down into thousands of tiny 3-D units to measure activity levels.

This new study took a much broader approach. Instead of looking at isolated brain regions, researchers examined how entire brain networks communicate and work together across the whole brain. That is an important advancement because schizophrenia is increasingly understood as a disorder involving disrupted brain communication, not just problems in one single area.

Another major difference is the use of an automated analysis system called spatially constrained Independent Component Analysis (scICA). In simple terms, this approach uses established brain network templates to help identify patterns more consistently across patients and studies, while still preserving important individual differences. This type of automation may improve reliability and make future schizophrenia research easier to compare and replicate.

What This Does and Does Not Mean for Treatment

This study does not mean a brain scan alone diagnoses schizophrenia. Nor does it prove that network problems are fully “fixable,” even though they are better seen through SPECT.

However, it does suggest that better visibility could support better personalization during diagnosis and treatment. The study frames this line of work as potentially helpful for precision psychiatry and more precise clinical diagnosis.

This enables those who are facing schizophrenia, such as clinicians, patients, and their loved ones, to have more hope than ever before. Seeing the brain more clearly can help both patients and clinicians move away from guesswork or trial-and-error treatment plans.

How Amen Clinics Looks at Serious Mental Health Conditions Differently

Amen Clinics does psychiatry differently by looking at the brain. Brain SPECT imaging, employed for more than 35 years at Amen Clinics on patients of all ages, adds functional information to a client’s overall mental health picture.

While diagnosis doesn’t happen with scans alone, personalized care starts with better information. At Amen Clinics, we practice precision medicine by using brain SPECT imaging as part of our comprehensive evaluation to understand what’s really happening in your brain. Conventional psychiatry usually makes diagnoses based on symptoms and cognitive testing alone.

Final Takeaway: Schizophrenia Network Problems May Be More Visible Than Ever

Schizophrenia is not simply a collection of symptoms. It is a complex brain disorder involving disruptions in how major brain systems communicate and work together.

Fortunately, this new SPECT research suggests those disruptions may now be more visible and measurable than ever before.

Using advanced automated analysis, researchers identified widespread abnormalities in brain networks involved in cognitive control, internal thought processing, hearing, emotion, and deeper brain regulation. These findings closely mirror years of fMRI research, but now they may be observable through a brain imaging tool already used in real-world clinical settings.

This matters because better visibility into brain function can lead to more precise, personalized care. As brain-network science continues to evolve, studies like this move psychiatry closer to a future where schizophrenia is understood less by labels and symptoms alone, and more by the underlying brain patterns driving them.

FAQ About Schizophrenia, Brain Networks, and SPECT Imaging

Can a brain scan show schizophrenia?

Mental Breakdown Recovery: How My Husband Got His Life Back

Thrive Agency — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:24:21 +0000

June 23, 2026
Anxiety and Depression, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Mental Breakdown Recovery: How My Husband Got His Life Back

TL;DR

When Melinda Oschmann’s outgoing, high-functioning husband suddenly became withdrawn and unrecognizable after a mental breakdown, she feared something was seriously wrong.

In her husband Mark’s case, what started as stress led to a serious mental health crisis that worsened with a one-size-fits-all approach. Real healing began when clinicians looked at his brain, identified underlying issues like PTSD, and created a personalized treatment plan. With targeted care and lifestyle changes, recovery was not only possible, it was life-changing.

Medically reviewed by Mona Karimpour, DO, Amen Clinics

Have you ever watched someone you love experience a mental breakdown and felt completely powerless to help?

For Melinda Oschmann, that moment came when her husband, Mark, suddenly changed. Once “the world’s greatest extrovert,” as she described him, he could connect with anyone, anywhere. But under intense stress, he began to shut down.

“I saw him freeze up and stop talking,” she said, a shocking shift from the confident, high-functioning man she had always known.

At first, she hoped it was temporary. But as his condition worsened, it became clear this was something far more serious. Was mental breakdown recovery even possible, she wondered?

In this story, you’ll learn how a devastating mental health crisis became a turning point and how a brain-based approach helped Mark find his way back.

Once “the world’s greatest extrovert,” her husband began to shut down under intense stress. Doctors gave him antipsychotics and sedatives, but they made him worse. Was mental breakdown recovery even possible, she wondered?

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Before the Breakdown: A Life Full of Energy and Connection

Before everything changed, Mark was known for his energy, confidence, and ability to connect with anyone he met.

His wife, Melinda, said he was one of those guys who could walk into any room and strike up a conversation, navigate challenges with ease, and build relationships wherever he went. Whether in work or daily life, he was someone who thrived on interaction and problem-solving.

He wasn’t just social, he was highly capable. Mark had a natural ability to function under pressure, think on his feet, and work through difficult situations. To those around him, he seemed resilient and adaptable, the kind of person who could handle whatever life threw his way.

That’s why what happened next felt so unexpected and so deeply unsettling.

The Crisis: When Stress Leads to a Mental Breakdown

At first, the changes were easy to dismiss. Mark had been under a great deal of stress, and like many people, it seemed reasonable to assume he was just going through a difficult season.

Melinda hoped it would pass. But instead of improving, his condition worsened. And then came the moment everything changed. She witnessed a sudden shift when he became silent and withdrawn.

For a man who had always been outgoing, articulate, and engaged, the shift was shocking. It wasn’t just stress anymore. It was as if something in his brain had shut down.

By March 2024, Melinda recognized the severity of what was happening. What she initially thought was temporary had become something far more serious, a full mental breakdown.

Video: How an Extrovert Completely Shut Down (and How He Recovered)

What Is a Mental Breakdown?

A mental breakdown isn’t an official medical diagnosis, but it is a brain health crisis. Most experts define it as a period of intense stress that makes it difficult to function in daily life. An estimated one in 10 people experience a mental health crisis at some point in their lifetime.

Mental breakdown symptoms include:

Emotional and mental issues: Severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, mood swings, constant worry, irritability, or feeling emotionally detached
Cognitive problems: Having difficulty with focus, thinking, memory, or decision-making
Behavioral and social changes: Social isolation, missing work, skipping personal care, loss of interests in activities, or substance use
Physical symptoms: Chronic fatigue, not enough sleep or too much sleep, headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, or heart palpitations

Like many families facing a mental health crisis, Melinda did everything she could to get Mark help. She sought help through a mental health organization, hoping a thorough evaluation would bring clarity and a path forward. Mark was admitted for three days of examinations.

Melinda said, “They told me, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll test him. We’ll evaluate him. We’ll tell you what’s happened.’”

But instead of relief, the experience left her with even more concern. He was quickly placed on antipsychotics and sedatives.

While these medications are sometimes necessary, in his case, they appeared to make things worse. His cognitive function declined, and the vibrant, capable man Melinda knew seemed to fade even further.

For Melinda, it was heartbreaking. She had trusted that this approach would help, but instead, it deepened her fear. There was no clear explanation for what was happening in his brain, no personalized roadmap for recovery, and no real sense of progress.

“I didn’t see a lot of light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.

That’s when she realized they needed a different kind of answer, one that looked deeper at the brain itself.

Finding Hope: A Different Path at Amen Clinics

At one of their lowest points, Melinda remembered something that would change everything.

Years earlier, she had seen a public television special featuring Dr. Daniel Amen, the founder of Amen Clinics. One message had stayed with her: a balanced brain is the foundation for a life that is happier, healthier, wealthier, and wiser.

In that moment of uncertainty, she knew what she had to do. “I have to get him there,” she thought.

Walking into Amen Clinics felt different right away. Instead of fear and confusion, “There was just an element of hope when you walked through the door that you could feel,” she said.

The environment itself felt positive, and for the first time since Mark’s mental health crisis, she began to believe that recovery from Mark’s brain health crisis might actually be possible.

What stood out most was the approach.

Rather than relying on guesswork alone, the Amen Clinics team looked directly at Mark’s brain. Using detailed brain SPECT imaging, along with a thorough history and assessments, they worked to understand what was really happening beneath the surface.

For Melinda, this was a turning point. After so much time with uncertainty and setbacks, they were finally getting answers.

A Clear Diagnosis: Understanding What Was Really Happening

For the first time since Mark’s brain health crisis started, things began to make sense.

During their initial visit, the Amen Clinics psychiatrist, Mona Karimpour, DO, carefully reviewed his brain scans and walked them through the findings, explaining how specific patterns in brain activity were connected to his symptoms.

Dr. Karimpour pointed out areas linked to anxiety and mood challenges, helping them see that Mark’s struggles weren’t a mystery or a personal failing, but rooted in how his brain was functioning.

Then came a crucial insight.

By combining the brain SPECT imaging results with Mark’s history and detailed assessments, the clinician identified something that had previously been missed: signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For Melinda, it was a moment of clarity. “I thought, that makes sense to me,” she recalled.

In a healthy “active” SPECT scan, blue represents average activity and red and white represent increasingly higher levels of activity. In the healthy scan on the left, the most active area is in the cerebellum, located in the back/bottom part of the brain. In Mark’s SPECT scan, there are patterns of overactivity associated with anxiety, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Just as important, they learned that the medications he had been given earlier were likely contributing to his cognitive decline. The antipsychotics, in particular, were interfering with his ability to think clearly and process information.

This is common with antipsychotic medications. According to a 2025 study in JAMA Psychiatry, “Antipsychotics are not procognitive drugs.”

Instead of a one-size-fits-all diagnosis, they finally had a personalized, brain-based explanation. And with it, they had a new sense of direction.

When Melinda asked the question that had been weighing on her mind, “Is there hope?”, the answer was immediate and reassuring: yes, mental breakdown recovery is possible.

The Turning Point: A Plan to Heal the Brain

With a clear diagnosis in place, the focus shifted to something Melinda had been longing for: a clear path forward.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the team at Amen Clinics created a personalized treatment plan designed to support Mark’s brain as it healed. This included carefully changing his medications, along with targeted lifestyle strategies such as nutrition, exercise, and key supplements to support brain function.

One of the most important elements was restoring brain balance.

They learned that it would take time for the previous medications to leave his system, and that healing wouldn’t happen overnight. But for the first time, the plan made sense. It addressed the root causes of his symptoms and gave his brain what it needed to recover.

So, they committed fully.

Melinda and Mark followed the recommendations closely, improving his diet, prioritizing exercise, and staying consistent with the treatment plan. Each step was designed to support brain health and gradually rebuild his cognitive and emotional strength.

Then something remarkable happened.

“At one point, it was like someone flipped a switch,” Melinda said. “I call it a miracle.”

After months of fear and uncertainty, Mark began to come back.

Life After Recovery: Getting Back to Himself

As Mark’s brain began to heal, the changes were undeniable. Slowly but steadily, he started to return to the person Melinda had always known. He was engaged, capable, and full of life.

The progress wasn’t just noticeable; it was meaningful. By January, he was able to go back to work, a milestone that once felt out of reach.

But the transformation went beyond functioning.

Melinda noticed something even more powerful: joy. As Mark improved, that sense of lightness and happiness began to return, not just for him, but for her as well. After so much fear and uncertainty, life started to feel hopeful again.

And Mark could feel the difference.

“He always says every day, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m better every day,’” Melinda shared.

It became a daily reminder of how far he had come and how much further he could go. What once felt like a devastating mental breakdown had turned into a story of healing, growth, and renewed possibility.

A Message of Hope: Healing Is Possible

Mental health challenges can feel overwhelming, especially when they seem to come out of nowhere and turn your life upside down.

For Mark and Melinda, what began as a frightening mental breakdown became a journey toward understanding, healing, and renewed hope.

Their story is a powerful reminder that when you look at the brain—the organ behind your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—you can begin to uncover real answers. And with the right, personalized approach, mental breakdown recovery is possible.

Today, Mark continues to improve, embracing each day with gratitude and progress. And perhaps the most meaningful part of their journey is what comes next.

“I want to see other people have that joy too,” Melinda shared.

If you or someone you love is struggling, know this: you are not alone. With the right support and a brain-based approach, there is hope and a path forward.

FAQs About Stress and Mental Breakdowns

What is a mental breakdown?

Can a Brain Scan Detect a Concussion? What Research Shows

Thrive Agency — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:22:56 +0000

June 22, 2026
Brain Health Problems, Depression, SPECT Scans Case Study

Can a Brain Scan Detect a Concussion? What Research Shows

TL;DR

A “mild” concussion is not always mild. Symptoms can last for months or even years.
CT and MRI are standard imaging tools, but they focus on structure and may miss functional brain changes.
SPECT imaging looks at brain function and blood flow, offering insight when standard scans appear normal.
New research from Dr. Amen and colleagues shows that concussions can leave distinct, lasting brain activity patterns, or “hidden fingerprints.”
These patterns may help explain persistent symptoms like brain fog, memory issues, mood changes, and difficulty focusing.
A normal scan does not always mean your brain is functioning normally.
Early detection of functional changes can lead to more targeted, personalized care and reduce months of guesswork.
Persistent symptoms are real and brain-based, not a sign of weakness or something to ignore.

Medically reviewed by Kabran Chapek, ND, Amen Clinics

You hit your head. Maybe it was a car accident, a fall, or a collision during a game. You get checked out, even have a scan, and you’re told everything looks normal.

But months later, something still isn’t right.

You wonder, if my brain scan was normal, why do I still feel this way?

As it turns out, conventional imaging tools are designed to look at the structure of the brain, but they can miss functional changes that result from mild traumatic brain injury.

Researchers are now exploring functional imaging and asking can a SPECT scan detect a concussion?

New research (in preparation for publication) by Dr. Daniel Amen and colleagues suggests that brain SPECT imaging measures patterns of brain blood flow and activity, detecting “hidden fingerprints” associated with concussions. It appears that mild traumatic brain injuries may leave behind distinct patterns of brain activity that standard scans can’t detect. This finding may help explain why some people continue to struggle with concussion symptoms long after they’ve been told they’re fine.

In this blog, we’ll explore how brain imaging is changing what we know about concussions, and why getting the right kind of information could make all the difference in recovery.

New research suggests that concussions may leave behind ‘hidden fingerprints’ in the brain. These patterns can help explain why some people continue to struggle long after they’ve been told they’re fine.

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Why a “Mild” Concussion Can Cause Long-Lasting Problems

The word “mild” can be one of the most misleading terms in brain-injury medicine. It refers to the classification of the injury at the time it occurs, and not necessarily about the severity or duration of what follows. That distinction matters more than most people realize. For a meaningful percentage of people, a mild TBI can set off weeks, months, or even years of life disruption.

Research suggests that approximately 69 million traumatic brain injuries occur globally each year, with around 80 percent classified as “mild”, making this one of the most widespread and underappreciated neurological concerns in public health today. Interestingly, there’s a reason for that.

Mild TBI Does Not Always Feel Mild

“Mild” refers to the severity of the initial injury, not the intensity of recovery. Someone can walk away from a concussion without losing consciousness and still experience weeks, months, or years of cognitive and emotional disruption.

According to clinical research, a mild TBI is defined by the following terms:

Brief or no loss of consciousness
A Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13–15
Post-traumatic amnesia of less than 24 hours

What that criteria cannot predict is whether your brain will recover seamlessly or whether functional disruptions will last long after the initial injury window closes. For many people, “mild” describes the event instead of the experience that follows.

Symptoms Can Last for Months or Longer

Post-concussion symptoms can impact virtually every area of your daily life.

Common lingering issues can include:

Headaches that don’t fully resolve
Dizziness or balance problems
Memory difficulties
Trouble focusing or concentrating
Irritability and mood changes
Depression or anxiety
Sleep disruption
Brain fog

These symptoms don’t just fade for everyone either. A 2025 systematic review published in JAMA Network Open found that up to 30 percent of adults with mild traumatic brain injury continue to experience symptoms well beyond the initial recovery period. Another study found that nearly 50 percent of patients with mild TBI were still experiencing symptoms one year after injury.

Early factors like thinking and memory problems, a history of anxiety or depression, having a sleep disorder, or losing consciousness at the time of injury can increase the risk of ongoing issues at one, three, and six months.

A 2022 scoping review found a two-way connection between lingering concussion symptoms and mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and difficulty regulating emotions.

Why Some People Never Feel Fully Recovered

Unfortunately, many people with mild TBI are told their scans look normal and that their symptoms will resolve with time, only to find themselves still struggling months later.

The brain is impacted by deeper issues that can be hard to understand or articulate, or detect with traditional scans.

It’s easy to overlook just how delicate your brain is. Although it’s powerful and remarkably resilient, it is comprised of soft tissue the consistency of soft butter and housed in a protective hard, rigid skull. But this protective “shell” is filled with sharp bony ridges. In mild traumatic brain injuries, your brain sloshes against the hard, rigid skull, causing bruising, tearing, and functional damage that traditional scans generally do not pick up.

It’s a leading clinical problem that researchers who specialize in brain health are actively working to address. When it comes to non-traditional, functional brain imaging for mild TBI, clinicians are more frequently asking, can SPECT detect mild traumatic brain injury?

Can a Brain Scan Show a Concussion?

It appears that SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography) is uniquely suited to detect mild brain injuries that structural imaging misses.

CT and MRI Often Focus on Structure

CT and MRI scans are powerful tools, but they’re designed to detect structural damage like bleeding, swelling, or fractures. In many mild TBI cases, these scans come back normal because the injury is not structural but functional. Research confirms that conventional imaging can often fail to detect subtle brain changes in mTBI.

SPECT Looks at Brain Function and Blood Flow

SPECT imaging measures blood flow in the brain, helping show which areas are more active and which may be underperforming. Because brain cells rely on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to function, changes in blood flow can reflect how well different parts of the brain are working. Healthy cerebral blood flow is also important for healing following a brain injury.

A 2021 study showed that regional blood flow is closely linked to brain activity and can reveal functional problems even when standard scans look normal.

At Amen Clinics, this functional perspective is central. While structural scans may miss post-concussion abnormalities, SPECT can highlight patterns of overactivity or underactivity that align with symptoms.

Why That Difference Matters

If your scan looks “normal,” but your brain doesn’t feel normal, the disconnect can be frustrating and feel invalidating. Functional SPECT imaging offers another lens that focuses on how the brain works, not just how it looks.

What SPECT Imaging Has Found in Mild TBI

The evidence that SPECT can detect meaningful functional changes after mild TBI has been building for years. SPECT imaging of mild TBI reveals replicated blood flow (perfusion) patterns that match specific symptom clusters, even months or years later. These ‘hidden fingerprints’ explain why some people never fully recover. Early detection could change everything.

In the new study mentioned earlier, Dr. Amen and researchers analyzed SPECT scans from 169 adults with mild TBI and found widespread, reproducible differences in brain activity across brain regions compared to healthy individuals. These findings point to a clear and measurable “signature” of concussion in the brain that may offer deeper insight into lingering symptoms and more personalized paths to care.

Mild TBI Can Leave Replicated Perfusion Abnormalities

Studies have identified recurring abnormalities in cerebral blood flow related to mild TBI, particularly in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. These findings suggest that mild TBI is not random and often follows recognizable patterns.

These Patterns May Persist Long After the Injury

Importantly, these abnormalities aren’t limited to the immediate aftermath. Research shows that altered blood flow can persist months or years after the injury, even when CT scans are normal.

Longitudinal research shows that positive predictive value actually increased from 59 percent shortly after trauma to 95 percent at one-year follow-up. Positive predictive value describes how likely it is that a positive test result accurately reflects the presence of a condition. Essentially, this means SPECT can become more diagnostically reliable over time.

A 2022 study in Frontiers in Neurology examined patients with chronic mTBI symptoms lasting longer than three months and found that SPECT imaging identified hypoperfused brain regions that corroborated their functional limitations, even in cases where CT and MRI had shown no changes.

Why Researchers Call Them “Hidden Fingerprints”

Most think of concussion as a visible bruise. However, it is more accurate to think of the injury as having left a signature pattern of how the brain communicates and processes information. The signature patterns or “hidden fingerprints” are the recognizable patterns of altered blood flow that correspond to brain function and where it struggles with daily life tasks. These changes may be invisible on structural imaging, but measurable on functional imaging.

How Hidden Perfusion Patterns May Match Specific Symptom Clusters

Brain imaging findings often mirror real-life symptoms and can give you and your doctor a place to start creating a personalized treatment plan with your brain in mind.

The brain is not homogenous but rather an intricate network of interconnected regions, each contributing to different aspects of cognition, emotion, and physical function. When critical blood flow is disrupted in one region versus another, the downstream effects on your daily life can vary dramatically.

Understanding these connections is part of what makes functional imaging so valuable and why Amen Clinics’ whole-body approach to concussion care begins by looking at the brain directly rather than guessing from symptoms alone.

Different Brain Regions Can Be Linked to Different Problems

The region of the brain where blood flow is disrupted may line up with the specific cluster of symptoms a person is experiencing.

Research supports region-specific dysfunction in mTBIs and poor functional outcomes over time. Your brain is highly interconnected and unique variation is significant, but it offers a useful clinical framework to guide you. Here’s what that could look like:

Frontal lobes: focus, planning, impulse control
Temporal lobes: memory, mood, irritability
Parietal/vestibular systems: balance, spatial awareness
Occipital regions: visual processing

A review of brain regions and associated post-concussion symptoms published in Frontiers in Neurology noted that specific structures play distinct roles in the symptom profiles experienced after concussion. It referred to regions ranging from the amygdala and hippocampus to the insula, frontal lobes, and vestibular pathways.

Why Two People With “The Same Concussion” May Feel Very Different

No two brains are identical. Your brain is unique to you, which makes your healing unique too. This might explain why one person can bounce back quickly while another struggles for months.

Here are some factors that affect resilience:

The direction of force of the injury
Neural networks most affected from impact
Your history of prior injuries
Baseline brain health
Inflammatory response
Sleep quality during recovery
Stress levels
History of mental health disorders

Meta-analysis research on persistent symptoms after concussion confirmed that factors such as premorbid anxiety, prior depression, and acute cognitive symptoms all interact to shape the recovery timeline, independently of how severe the initial injury appeared.

Why This May Explain Lingering Post-Concussion Syndrome

Too often individuals can feel like persistent symptoms mark some sort of personal failure in their healing, or they ignore them thinking they’ll resolve over time. A more accurate assessment is to interpret ongoing issues as a need for professional attention and proactively respond by seeking the right care.

Leaving symptoms unaddressed can worsen your mental health. A 2022 systematic review found that people with persistent post-concussion symptoms had fourfold higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms, underscoring the real mental health burden that unresolved brain dysfunction shares.

Addressing symptoms as a brain-health issue rather than a behavioral or psychological one can lead to better outcomes as it treats root causes. Research on treatments for post-concussion syndrome has found that cognitive training, psychoeducation, and cognitive behavioral therapy all show some effectiveness, particularly when treatment is targeted to your specific symptom profile.

Video: This Is What Trauma Survivors Brain Scans Look Like

Why Conventional Testing Can Miss Hidden Concussion Damage

Structural scans are not misleading; in many cases, there is no visible structural damage to detect. However, even thorough evaluations may overlook meaningful changes in brain function. This highlights a critical distinction: the absence of structural abnormalities does not necessarily indicate normal brain function.

A Normal Scan Does Not Always Mean a Normal Recovery

A normal CT or MRI after a mild TBI does not rule out functional problems, and it does not predict a symptom-free recovery.

A 2022 study in Frontiers in Neurology noted specifically that conventional imaging frequently shows no changes after mTBI, even in patients with chronic symptoms lasting more than three months. It also showed that functional imaging tools like SPECT can add clinically meaningful information precisely in those cases.

From a clinical standpoint, a negative structural scan is reassuring that there is no emergency, but it should not be interpreted as a clean bill of functional brain health.

Symptoms May Be Real Even When Others Cannot See Them

One of the most difficult experiences for people living with post-concussion syndrome is feeling invisible.

The injury may not show on a standard scan or may not be an obvious physical disability.

Oftentimes, people are expected to function normally while their brain is still struggling in ways that are completely real but not detectable like a broken arm or other injury.

As research has noted, some patients with mTBI may go a full year before symptoms appear. Others appear recovered to others, while experiencing cognitive dysfunction. The invisibility of the injury can compound the burden as well.

Hidden Injury Can Affect Work, School, Relationships, and Mood

Struggling to focus during meetings. Forgetting simple tasks. Feeling emotionally reactive or disconnected from your friends and family. These aren’t small inconveniences. One concussion can reshape your entire life and that of those around you.

Cognitive and behavioral difficulties after TBI have been documented to interfere with participation in meaningful activities and create significant challenges at work, in school, and in interpersonal relationships.

A 2020 review published in Frontiers in Psychology noted that the effects of a single TBI may persist for years and can limit patients through somatic complaints, cognitive impairment, and affective sequelae. Patients with mild TBI may also struggle with social cognition disturbances, attention deficits, memory problems, and emotional instability.

What to Watch for After a Concussion

Knowing what to pay attention to in the weeks and months after a head injury can be confusing. You might assume that if the emergency room cleared you, that means you’re fine; but the days and weeks following a concussion are when a great deal of functional recovery (or disruption) unfolds.

Here are a few common symptoms that deserve closer monitoring and follow-up if they don’t resolve within the expected 14-day window:

Persistent headaches
Trouble focusing
Memory slips
Dizziness or balance issues
Light/noise sensitivity
Mood changes
Sleep disruption
Feeling mentally slower

If these symptoms linger, especially past the three-month mark, professional follow-up care is essential for healing.

What to Do If You Still Have Symptoms Months Later

If you’re still experiencing post-concussion symptoms weeks or months after your injury, the most important step is also the most straightforward: take it seriously and get help from a qualified medical professional.

Persistent symptoms after mild TBI are not rare, and they are not something to simply “push through.”

Do Not Assume It Is “All in Your Head”

Your experience is valid. Symptoms can reflect real brain dysfunction and it’s best to listen to your brain health doctor when it comes to a brain injury.

Ask for a Full Brain-Health Evaluation

To provide a clearer picture of what you need, a comprehensive assessment may include history, cognitive testing, and potentially imaging.

Look Beyond Symptoms Alone

At Amen Clinics, brain health is viewed through a whole-body approach, integrating biology, psychology, lifestyle, and environment with precision medicine.

How Amen Clinics Looks at Concussion Differently

Traditional approaches to concussion often rely heavily on reported symptoms, which can leave important questions unanswered about what is happening in the brain. At Amen Clinics, the focus shifts to understanding brain function directly, offering a more complete picture of why symptoms may persist.

With more than 30 years of clinical experience and the world’s largest database of brain SPECT scans, this approach is grounded in objective data. By identifying patterns of brain activity, clinicians can better connect symptoms to underlying changes and develop more targeted, individualized care plans.

We Do Psychiatry Differently by Looking at the Brain

Amen Clinics emphasizes a holistic approach to psychiatry that looks at optimizing the brain. Care is guided by brain imaging and a comprehensive evaluation, including personal history, lifestyle factors, and overall health.

Rather than relying on medication as the only solution, treatment plans may incorporate targeted lifestyle interventions such as nutrition, exercise, sleep optimization, stress management, and other therapeutic strategies.

Medication is used when appropriate, but always as part of a broader, individualized plan. This approach helps identify patterns and connections that may be missed in symptom-based care alone, leading to more personalized and effective treatment.

Brain SPECT Imaging Can Add Functional Insight

SPECT imaging provides a view of how the brain is functioning by measuring blood flow and activity patterns. This functional perspective can reveal changes that are not visible on structural scans like MRI or CT.

A 2024 study found that individuals with mild traumatic brain injury may have normal MRI findings while still experiencing measurable disruptions in brain activity, particularly in regions involved in attention, memory, and emotional regulation. By identifying these patterns, SPECT imaging can help explain persistent symptoms and support more targeted clinical decision-making.

Personalized Care Starts With Better Information

Using precision medicine, treatment is tailored to the individual instead of only the diagnosis. This may include natural ways to treat mental health conditions alongside medical care.

Why Early Detection Could Change Everything

When it comes to mild traumatic brain injury, one of the biggest challenges isn’t just the injury itself, it’s the delay in understanding what’s really happening.

When symptoms are dismissed or scans appear normal, people are often left without answers, and that can lead to months of confusion, frustration, and ineffective treatment.

Early detection can provide clarity and better outcomes. With clearer insight into how the brain is functioning, clinicians can make more informed decisions and patients can move forward with a more targeted, thoughtful plan for recovery.

Earlier Recognition May Lead to Better Recovery Planning

Identifying functional changes early may help clinicians tailor support more effectively with a more accurate picture of what they’re dealing with and a more rational foundation for the decisions that follow. While this can make a better outcome more likely, it’s important to note that it does not guarantee it.

It May Help Prevent Months of Guesswork

Without clear answers, many patients cycle through providers and treatments without resolution. Functional SPECT imaging can help clinicians identify areas of brain dysfunction and develop more targeted clinical interventions. That’s the kind of precision medicine approach that Amen Clinics has long championed.

It Can Help Patients Take Symptoms Seriously Sooner

It’s an unfortunate truth that people often downplay head injuries. But when a patient can see the brain dysfunction associated with their symptoms on a scan, there’s a sense of validation, a reduction in shame, and an increase of motivation to do what it takes to heal.

The research on post-concussion syndrome consistently highlights that early management of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms may reduce long-term morbidity.

A Mild Concussion Can Leave a Lasting Brain Signature

A concussion does not have to look dramatic to disrupt brain health. Even mild traumatic brain injury can lead to lasting changes in how the brain functions, particularly in blood flow patterns that may correspond to real, ongoing symptoms.

Dr. Amen’s new research helps illustrate this more clearly. The findings show that mild TBI can leave behind consistent patterns of altered brain activity that are linked to specific symptom clusters, even months or years after the injury.

This growing body of work reinforces an important point: persistent symptoms following a mild TBI are not random or imagined. They may reflect measurable changes in brain function, which are often missed by traditional imaging but can be seen through functional approaches like SPECT.

FAQ About Concussions and SPECT Imaging

Can a brain scan detect a concussion?

Amen Clinics

The Overlooked Link Between Stress and Heart Disease

The Overlooked Link Between Stress and Heart Disease

Table of Contents

What Happens in the Body During Stress

Stress and Heart Disease: What Research Shows

The Link Between Chronic Stress and Heart Disease

How the Brain Influences Heart Health

Stress-Related Behaviors That Increase Heart Disease Risk

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Stress-Related Heart Problems?

Signs Stress May Be Affecting Heart Health

Ways to Reduce Stress to Support Heart Health

When to Seek Professional Help

How Amen Clinics Supports Brain and Heart Health

Guarding Your Heart, Keeping Stress in Check

FAQ About Stress and Heart Health

BIPOC Mental Health Patients: Challenges and Personalized Care

BIPOC Mental Health Patients: Challenges and Personalized Care

Table of Contents

What Is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month?

How Mental Health Disparities Affect BIPOC Communities

How Traditional Mental Health Models May Fall Short

Why a Brain-Based Approach May Offer Additional Insight

How Does Trauma Affect the Brain?

Unique Stressors Affecting Some BIPOC Mental Health Patients

Chronic Stress Exposure

Discrimination-Related Stress

Intergenerational Trauma

Accumulative Stress

Microaggressions

Community Violence Exposure

The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis in BIPOC Patients

How Can Misdiagnosis Affect BIPOC Mental Health Patients?

Moving From Awareness to Action

FAQ About BIPOC Mental Health Care

Do Bipolar Brains “Run Hot”? What Imaging Research Shows

Do Bipolar Brains “Run Hot”? What Imaging Research Shows

Table of Contents

Can a Brain Scan Show Bipolar Disorder?

How Can Brain Scans Help with a Clinical Diagnosis?

Brain Imaging Can Reveal Meaningful Patterns

Why This Matters for Patients

What the 2023 SPECT Study Found

Bipolar Disorder Showed Generalized Hypermetabolism

The Strongest Effects Appeared in Frontostriatal Circuits

The Brain Pattern Worsened with Age

What Does “Brain Overactivity” Mean in Bipolar Disorder?

Why More Activity Is Not Always Better

Why Frontostriatal Circuits Matter So Much

When These Circuits Are Overactive, Mood States May Become Harder to Regulate

Why This Could Help Explain Bipolar Highs, Lows, and Instability

Why the Aging Finding Could Matter for Long-Term Brain Health

Does This Mean Bipolar Symptoms Always Intensify Over Time?

Early Recognition and Better Brain Care May Matter

Why Looking at the Brain Can Change the Conversation

Symptoms Alone Do Not Tell the Whole Story

Brain Imaging May Help Clarify What Is Driving Instability

Better Information Can Support Better Planning

How Does Amen Clinics Look at Bipolar Disorder?

Final Takeaway: Bipolar Brains May Show a Distinct Pattern of Overactivity

FAQ About Bipolar Disorder, Brain Blood Flow, and SPECT Scans

10 Anxiety Management Techniques to Calm Your Mind Naturally

10 Anxiety Management Techniques to Calm Your Mind Naturally

Table of Contents

What Is Anxiety?

What Are Anxiety Management Techniques?

Why Anxiety Management Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

10 Anxiety Management Techniques You Can Start Using Today

1. Slow, Controlled Breathing

2. Grounding Techniques

3. Move Your Body Regularly

4. Limit Stimulants That Increase Anxiety

5. Improve Sleep Consistency

6. Challenge Unhelpful Thought Patterns

7. Build Supportive Social Connections

8. Practice Daily Stress Reset Habits

9. Support Brain Health Through Nutrition

10. Create Structure and Predictability

Why Some Anxiety Strategies Work for Some People — But Not Others

When Anxiety May Have Deeper Root Causes