First Facts
MindGenesis™ is the first imaging center of its kind in the region.
Our goal is to provide the comprehensive and definitive imaging services required for confirming the presence—or absence—of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia at the earliest point possible. Video: What age do you get Alzheimer's?
The MindGenesis™ process uses advanced PET (positron emission tomography) imaging.
We have chosen this leading-edge nuclear medicine technology over other options because it delivers superior results in early Alzheimer’s detection, using the protocol designed by Dr. Daniel Silverman, Head of Neuronuclear Imaging Section, Ahmanson Biological Division UCLA Medical Center. With it, we are able to obtain three-dimensional pictures of the functional processes of the brain. Video: What is a PET Scan?
The MindGenesis™ PET scanner’s open design maximizes client comfort.
If you experienced claustrophobia in MRIs or CT scans in the past, you will take comfort in knowing that our imager has a larger, more open configuration. In fact, your view during the process will be that of the front range of the Rockies. To date, no client has been unable to complete the scan due to feeling claustrophobic.
The imaging procedure takes only minutes.
We complete most brain scans in less than 15 minutes. Prior to imaging you will rest comfortably in a dimly lit quiet room for 30 minutes.
While the service is new, the accuracy is proven.
Our physician specialists have conducted more than 4,000 early-detection scans using PET technology and this protocol. Video: What is NeuroQ?
Results are available right away, and all information is private.
You can schedule your MindGenesis™ scan at a time convenient for you. Within just a few days of the procedure, you will be able to discuss your findings with MindGenesis’™ consulting specialist. All services are provided with complete confidentiality: only you receive your results. If you choose to have your information sent to anyone else, we will have you sign a consent form and send your records for you.
MindGenesis™ is not a provider, but a portal for post-imaging treatment.
Depending upon your findings and your desires, we can find you a specialist knowledgeable in Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The client chooses whether or not the report is shared with his/her primary care physician or other specialists. Referrals to counselors and the Alzheimer’s Association’s Rapid Referral support program can be made, as well. MindGenesis™ nurse facilitators can provide additional resource information, also.
The MindGenesis™ commitment:
To provide clients the “gold standard” in early Alzheimer’s detection—the critical first step in empowerment and intervention.
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Prescan
»Our consulting specialist asks each client to complete a brief, written questionnaire, prior to the MindGenesis™ scan. The pre-screening responses can help evaluate potential disorders that may influence your scan.
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Scan
»The client’s scan is performed at MindGenesis™ using a Philips Gemini PET/CT Scanner, one of the most technologically advanced scanners in the Rocky Mountain Region. This is an "open" scanner—removing virtually all fears of claustrophobia.
A full brain scan requires less than 15 minutes. The entire procedure—from the injection of the radiopharmaceutical to completion— takes just slightly over an hour.
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Neuro Q™
»The PET/CT scan captures images of the brain that show how the radiopharmaceutical agent is being metabolized and at what rate. When read by specially trained radiologists, these brain images reveal the absence, presence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. MindGenesis is the first center in the region to add the assurance of NeuroQ statistical mapping software for enhanced accuracy.
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Primary
»The scan with NeuroQ enhancement is first read locally by Health Images, a leading team of board-certified radiologists. All radiologists reading images for MindGenesis™ use the NeuroQ process developed by Dr. Daniel Silverman of the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Center, a national leader in early detection and intervention of the disease.
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Secondary
»The scan and local report are then reviewed by Dr. Silverman or a member of his team. This premier group has successfully diagnosed early-onset Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before expected onset using proprietary procedures and the NeuroQ analytical enhancement. This approach also differentiates dementias for client-specific care.
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Report
The results of the scan are then shared in person with the client by our consulting specialist. The client chooses whether or not the report is shared with his/her primary care physician or other specialist. If needed information for physician specialists, counselors and the Alzheimer’s Association’s Rapid Referral support program can be made, as well. MindGenesis™ nurse facilitators can provide additional resource information.
The Alzheimer's Brain
One of the best explanations we’ve seen on brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s Disease can be seen here: Inside the Brain It explains how beta-amyloid plaques—abnormal clusters of protein fragments—build up between the individual nerve cells. As nerve cells die, they begin to contain tangles--twisted strands of another protein. MindGenesis™ imaging detects early signs of deterioration in 240 different sectors across 42 regions of the brain…and up to 20 years before symptoms are seen. Video: What are the symtoms of Alzheimer's Disease? For clients already experiencing some symptoms of dementia, MindGenesis'™ approach can clearly determine if the cause is Alzheimer's or another form of dementia accurately. Video: Alzheimer's vs. Dementia: What's the difference?
NeuroQ software analyzes 240 areas of the brain across 42 regions.