Canadian Healthcare Technology Logo
  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us

GE Revolution Ascend

GE Revolution Ascend

Enovacom EPC

Enovacom EPC

Diagnostics

Imaging agent for Parkinsonian Syndromes approved

January 24, 2018


Marco Campione

CHALFONT ST. GILES, UK – GE Healthcare announced the approval in Canada of DaTscan (Ioflupane I 123 Injection), the first Health Canada approved radiopharmaceutical adjunct imaging agent to help physicians evaluate patients with a suspected parkinsonian syndrome (PS) such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

DaTscan is unable to discriminate between PD, MSA and PSP. Timely diagnosis can be instrumental in making the most of advances in therapeutic options that can help manage the disease’s progression.

PD is a neurodegenerative disease that today affects an estimated 100,000 people in Canada and more than five million people worldwide. It causes a progressive loss of dopamine in the brain, which can cause symptoms that include, among others, resting tremor, slowness of movement, stiffness or rigidity of muscles, difficulty with balance and walking, difficulty with fine motor movements.

Doctors primarily rely on clinical assessments to diagnose PD. However, clinical assessments, particularly early in the disease, can be inconclusive and may result in misdiagnosis. DaTscan, when used as an adjunct to clinical assessment, can help physicians differentiate parkinsonian syndromes from essential tremor (ET), that may present with similar clinical symptoms. While the symptoms are similar, treatment and prognosis differ. Having another diagnostic tool for uncertain or challenging cases may help lead to a more timely and appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

“The timely and accurate diagnosis of PD is the first step toward optimal patient management and treatment,” said Marco Campione (pictured), core imaging general manager of Americas at GE Healthcare. “We are glad to bring to physicians in Canada an additional tool that can help them address the challenges of PD diagnosis, and help patients get an earlier diagnosis.”

DaTscan is a radioactive drug that is injected into the bloodstream to image a specific area of the brain (the striatum) using a SPECT camera. For an adult with a suspected PS, a doctor may decide to conduct SPECT imaging using DaTscan to aid in establishing a diagnosis between PS and ET. PS include, but are not limited to, PD, MSA, and PSP. DaTscan was not designed to differentiate among different forms of PS. DaTscan will be commercially available in Canada in early 2018.

About GE Healthcare

Harnessing data and analytics across hardware, software and biotech, GE Healthcare is the $18 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As a leading provider of medical imaging equipment, with a track record of more than 100 years in the industry and more than 50,000 employees across 100 countries, we transform healthcare by delivering better outcomes for providers and patients. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter or The Pulse for latest news.

PreviousNext

WP 900×150

WP 900x150

News and Trends

  • RACE streamlines patient journey
  • Healthcare supply chain needs a re-think, observers say
  • EDI spots pricing anomalies in Ontario’s healthcare supply chain
  • AI centres of excellence and companies collaborate on apps
  • Talking Stick: New hope for Indigenous mental healthcare
More from the Print Edition

Subscribe

Subscribe

Free of charge to Canadian hospital managers and executives in nursing homes and home-care organizations. Learn More

Follow us on Social Media!

Follow us on Social Media!

CAN Health Network

CAN Health Network

Nihi Data [Winter 2023]

Nihi Data [Winter 2023]

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra One Cloud

Sectra One Cloud

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Infoway [Feb2023]

Infoway [Feb2023]

CHT print-200×400

CHT print-200x400

WP 900×150

WP 900x150

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra One Cloud

Sectra One Cloud

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Infoway [Feb2023]

Infoway [Feb2023]

CHT print-200×400

CHT print-200x400

Contact Us

Canadian Healthcare Technology
1118 Centre Street, Suite 207
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L4J 7R9
Tel: 905-709-2330
Fax: 905-709-2258
info2@canhealth.com

  • Quick Links
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Events
    • Vendors
    • About Us
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Writers’ Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Administrative Solutions
    • Clinical Solutions
    • Companies
    • Continuing Care
    • Diagnostics
    • Education & Training
  •  
    • Electronic Records
    • Government & Policy
    • Infrastructure
    • Innovation
    • People
    • Privacy and Security

© 2023 Canadian Healthcare Technology

The content of Canadian Healthcare Technology is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Send all requests for permission to Jerry Zeidenberg, Publisher.

Search Site

Error: Enter a search term

  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us