3/22    Is Terri's CAT scan that bad?  Why has she not had PET or MRI?
        My Grandmother's Brain -- OK -- But Would I Stop Feeding
        My Grandmother?
        http://codeblueblog.blogs.com/codeblueblog/2005/03/csi_medblogs_co.html
        \_ oh wow, replies by real doctors with fancy medical
           terminologies that I don't understand. I wish that I had
           done pre-med. Instead I'm just a stupid code monkey barely
           surviving in Silleycone Valley
           \_ It's never too late for medical school, if you want to go.
              We have all heard stories of the 40 year old guy in there
              with the 22 year olds.
              \_ In fact, medical schools *like* older students.  There is
                 a shortage of family/general practice doctors, and that's
                 what most older med students end up doing.  Older students
                 usually don't have the lifespan and stamina to go for the
                 longer and/or more intensive residencies.  Unfortunately,
                 family docs make the least money.
                 \_ How easy is it to work in medical research without
                    seeing patients? I never wanted to be a surgeon or see
                    people to diagnose/prescribe for them... but I get the
                    impression that's required.
                    \_ When I first read your post, I thought you said
                       "without seeing patents".
                    \_ If you are a researcher then you don't have to have
                       a practice. I know someone who does this and she
                       never sees any patients. I also know a doctor who
                       does a lot of research and selects his patients
                       based on it. This seems more interesting than being
                       a GP, but pays a lot less.
        \_ not a doctor, but I have looked at a lot of fmri and pet scans.
           There's a ton of degeneration in that brain.  I've seen some
           lesioned and post-stroke cats and mri's, too.  Nothing that bad.
           But, he is right.  There is some minimal cortex left.  He does
           leave out an important fact though.  Gradual atrophy in a fully
           functioning individual is different than severe sudden atrophy
           and recovery.  For example, a study was done of 80+ year old
           nuns, and it was found that all the nuns had similar degrees
           of massive cortex atrophy in the brain.  However, the nuns that
           had a stroke had a post-trauma sudden onset of Alzheimer's that
           the non-stroke nuns didn't have.  Likely something from the
           stroke triggered onset of Alzheimer's. Thus, comparing Terri's
           brain to fully functional 85 yr olds who have had gradual
           atrophy without functional loss is not entirely kosher.
        \_ The CT scan is old, and unless I see the original DICOM data I'd be
           hesitant to conclude anything.  My company works with that kind of
           data all the time and you can adjust contrast controls, etc. to make
           a CT look like just about anything.  Furthermore, your typical CT of
           the brain doesn't look like much.  Which is why a tool like Image
           Fusion (shameless plug: http://www.prowess.com/products-img.php
           allows you to compare the MRI (on the right) with the CT. -emarkp
        \_ I think it is all a distraction from the more pressing issues
           of war, recession and ignorance that plague this country. Bush's
           numbers are down to 45% and the Republicans are desperately
           and transparently trying to change the subject.