I had a Dat scan Oct 23rd and results show no Parkinsons. Going to see Neurologist Dec 12th and get some answers hopefully.

The way my neurologist explained the DatScan really only shows you are losing dopamine, not why. However, since 80% of diseases under the parkinsonism umbrella are idiopathic Parkinson disease (of unknown etiology). I was diagnosed with PD based on the DatScan, but it didn't take long before it became very apparent there was something much more serious than PD. I have seen 4 movement disorder specialist and they are in firm agreement that it is MSA. But of the 20% left after one removes those 80% with PD, about 10-18% (I could be wrong; I haven't read up in awhile) have Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The last small percentages are made up by MSA, PSP and 2 or 3 others, all quite rare. What I don't understand is if you have PD then it is degenerative to some degree at least. If your diagnosis is not degenerative then the DatScan was negative and you have something else which is odd indeed, since the PD meds are beneficial. In my humble opinion which I highly esteem, too many doctors have too little understanding of what the DatScan can tell them. But who am I too question? 🧐
Teresa

I have completely lost trust in my neurologist. If not an honest to god movement disorder specialist they don’t really know much. Pretty good at detecting vascular issues and tumors but they have next to no clue when it comes to movement disorders and the associated symptoms, digestive issues, combination of active tremors along with resting tremors. Sensitivity to heat and cold, sleep issues, dorsal column problems. Stay with this site and you will quite quickly know more than your run of the mill neurologist.

Years of experience. N° 1 tool no question about it.

@A MyParkinsonsTeam Member - Do you have a history of taking any of the medications that can cause Drug Induced Parkinson's? That may be what your neurologist meant when he said that it isn't degenerative. Drug-Induced PD doesn't progress the way regular Parkinson's does.

Another possibility is that the DaT Scan measures how much dopamine your brain is producing. Usually, when people are diagnosed with Parkinson's their brains are only producing about 50% of normal dopamine. What your scan may have shown is that your brain is still producing normal or near normal amounts of dopamine, hence, it isn't degenerating. So whatever kind of movement disorder you have, it isn't related to dopamine production in your brain.

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