Kristen Willeumier

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics

Objective The current study aims to investigate whether hyperactivity is present in the parietal lobe of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method The data for this study was derived from an archival SPECT database. Participants in the ASD group (n = 91, Mage = 10.07, 78% male, 20.9% female, 1.1% others) were like those in the contro...

Objective The present study aims to determine whether there are differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) levels in females versus males with depression. Method The data for this study was derived from an archival SPECT database. Participants in the female group (n = 140, Mage = 14.48) were like those in the male group (n = 241, Mage = 13.77). Mult...

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the administration of the Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in children with ADHD. Methods: The data for this study was derived from a large - database. Participants in the ADHD group (n = 1853, Mage = 12.01) were similar to those in the healthy...

Objective: Females and males may differ in stress responses which suggests different brain reactivity between genders in PTSD. This study compares baseline regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between females and males with elevated PTSD symptoms. Method: Females [n = 383; Mage=37.51; white (65%)] and males [n=389; Mage=36.37; white (65%)] with elev...

Objective: To identify regions of the brain with disrupted regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) resulting from brain trauma. Method: Participants (N=15,365) were selected from a deidentified adult clinical outpatient database. Participants were divided into those with diagnosed brain trauma (n=6,736, 65.5% male, Mage=40.12, and 67.9% white) and thos...

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether differences exist between children with ADHD and a healthy control group in cerebral blood flow (CBF) t-scores at baseline with no external stimuli. Methods: The data for this study was derived from a large de-identified single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) database. Inclusion c...

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between children and adults with high levels of self-reported anxiety. Method: Subjects were selected from two independent clinical outpatient databases for child and adult SPECT scans. Scores were standardized to T scores for each database. The highest...

Objective: To identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences among children with varying Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes. The participants were part of an archival de-identified database that received SPECT scans at baseline. The sample (N= 3222) consisted of ADHD classifications of asymptomatic (N=773), combined...

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between adults who self-reported high symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Method: Subjects were selected from a de-identified database for adult SPECT scans. Scores were standardized to T-scores for each database. Twenty percent of the sample fro...

Objective To identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between individuals with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and healthy controls. Mehtods: Healthy controls (n = 81, Mage = 41.9, 53.0% female, 42.0% Caucasian) and persons diagnosed by psychiatric examination with OCD (n = 1020, Mage = 34.8, 33.6% female, 66.3% Caucasian) were...

Objective To identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between individuals who self-reported either low or high symptoms of somatic anxiety. Method Individuals who reported low levels of somatic anxiety (0-20th percentile;n = 8962,Mage = 39.2,39.2% female,62.6% Caucasian) and individuals who reported high levels of somatic anxiety (...

Objective To identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between individuals with DSM-IV diagnosis of Cluster B Personality Disorders (PDB) and healthy controls. Method Healthy controls (n = 81, Mage = 41.9, 53.0% female, 42.0% Caucasian) and persons diagnosed by psychiatric examination with PDB (n=, Mage = 34.12, 71.5% female, 69.8%...

Objective To assess which brain areas, as measured by SPECT, are related to self-reported feelings of pessimism. Method Using a symptom checklist, participants were determined based on their self-reported feelings of pessimism. The participants were part of a large archival de-identified database. A total of 7,661 individuals were categorized into...

Objective To identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and healthy controls. Method Healthy controls [n = 81, Mage = 41.9, 53.0% female] and persons diagnosed by psychiatric examination with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) [n = 62, Mage = 29.8, 75.8% male] were selected from a deident...

Objective To examine whether ADHD-Combined-Type in males and females alters brain activity at concentration. Method Participants were selected by DSM-IV diagnoses from a de-identified, archival database. Sample(n = 154) included a male(n = 97, Mage = 33.29, 67% Cau.) and female group(n = 57, Mage = 34.54, 71.9% Cau.). Exclusion criteria were most...

Objective To examine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) differences between those with self-reported high and low levels of depressive symptoms. Method Participants were selected from a de-identified archival SPECT database. Depressive symptoms were determined by self-reported factors related to depression which included eight questions rated on...

Objective To identify CBF differences between individuals with Tic Disorder and healthy controls. Methods The data for this study was acquired from a de-identified archival Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) database. The sample included a healthy control group (n = 83,age M = 42.02,54.22% female) and a second group included indivi...

Objective To test whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) alters brain activity compared to a Healthy group at baseline, as measured by a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Methods The sample (n = 189) included a PTSD group (n = 109, Mage = 43.4, 23% Male, 71.6% Caucasian.) and a Healthy group (n = 80, Mage = 41.5, 4...

Objective Explore the effects of aggression in adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Method Participants were extracted from an archival de-identified SPECT database (n = 889,Mage = 36.73, 60.4% male, 71.6% Caucasian). Two groups were formed based on self-reported aggressive s...

Objective To assess whether diagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) interactively alter brain activity, as measured by a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. Method The sample included adults diagnosed with OCD (n = 915) with a mean age of 34.65 and predominantly male (68.6%) a...

Objective To examine differences in blood flow perfusion, measured by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), at baseline between individuals diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and healthy controls. Method The participants were part of an archival de-identified SPECT database. The sample (N = 160) had a Mage = 38.85, was primarily male (5...

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a recognized functional imaging technique that has a number of established clinical indications. Knowledge gained in diagnosis and treatment of psychiatry and neurology conditions can be translated to the forensic population. Functional imaging of the brain using SPECT highlights similarities be...

Background Studies have reported that females have widespread increases in regional cerebral blood flow, but the studies were relatively small and inconsistent. Objective Here we analyzed a healthy and a very large clinical psychiatric population to determine the effect of gender, using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods...

Background: National Football League (NFL) players are exposed to multiple head collisions during their careers. Increasing awareness of the adverse long-term effects of repetitive head trauma has raised substantial concern among players, medical professionals, and the general public. Objective: To determine whether low perfusion in specific brain...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly heterogeneous and often present with overlapping symptomology, providing challenges in reliable classification and treatment. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) may be advantageous in the diagnostic separation of these disorders when comorbid or clinica...

PTSD and TBI are two common conditions in veteran populations that can be difficult to distinguish clinically. The default mode network (DMN) is abnormal in a multitude of neurological and psychiatric disorders. We hypothesize that brain perfusion SPECT can be applied to diagnostically separate PTSD from TBI reliably in a veteran cohort using DMN r...

Objective: This study attempted to differentiate between ADHD patients, primarily inattentive subtype, from a healthy comparison group, using high resolution brain SPECT imaging. Method: Participants included 140 patients with ADHD inattentive type and 149 demographically-matched controls. All participants underwent brain SPECT imaging at rest and...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) exist in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) verses children with anxiety while concentrating. Method: A clinical sample of 1186 children was selected. Participants included 854 male and female children diagnosed with ADHD...

Objective: To determine which areas of the brain were most associated with level of aggression as measured via SPECT scans. Method: Participants were selected based on their scores on an aggression factor from a symptom checklist, and had a mean age of 40.97 years (SD = 16.34), and consisted of 56.9% males and 43% females. Subjects were stratified...

Objective: To investigate the blood flow to the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex in eating disorders during administration of SPECT scans while performing the Conners' Continuous Performance Task (CPT-I or CPT-II). Method: Data were collected from the self-reports of clients seen at the Amen Clinic. Participants included 396 individuals with a s...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct an investigation of brain areas related to anxiety using SPECT scans. Method: Participants were administered a SPECT scan as part of a general evaluation for a wide variety of psychiatric disorders ranging from ADHD to schizophrenia and brain disorders. They were grouped based on their responses t...

Objective: To assess which brain areas, as measured by SPECT, were related to severity of mania symptomology. Method: Using a symptom checklist, participants (57.3% male, mean age = 40.93 years, SD = 15.71) were determined based on their scores on a factor measuring Mania symptomatology. Quartiles based on upper 25th (n = 5314), middle 50th (n = 10...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) exist in adult males versus adult females diagnosed with dementia at-rest and while concentrating. Method: A clinical sample of individuals aged 65–94 was selected. Participants included 182 males and 145 females who received a diagnosis of dementia...

Objective: This study looked at differences in brain function at rest between children and adolescents diagnosed with and without ADHD by using results obtained from single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scans. Method: Participants were 2168 children/adolescents with ADHD (mean age = 12) and 906 children/adolescents without ADHD (m...

Objective: To investigate whether age affects cerebral blood flow in individuals with dementia at baseline and while concentrating. Method: 709 individuals with dementia diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria were given a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Participants included 368 males and 341 fem...

Objective: The study examined whether nicotine disorders affect cerebral blood flow at baseline and while concentrating. Method: Two hundred and sixty two individuals with a diagnosis of a nicotine disorder and 94 healthy controls were given a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Participant...

Objective: It was hypothesized that externalized behavior symptoms (such as impulsive behavior or hyperactivity) may correlate with increased vermis activation, due to the known role of the vermis in body locomotion. Method: Three factors of interest in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were used: disorganized, disorganizatio...

Context: In a prior open trial of professional football players who displayed the effects of traumatic brain injury, the current reserach team reported significant improvements in clinical symptoms, neuropsychological testing and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) following the use of brain-directed nutrients (BDNs) and lifestyle interventions....

Our objective was to ascertain in a prospective case series how often brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) neuroimaging adds relevant information for diagnosis and/or treatment beyond current standard assessment tools in complex psychiatric cases. Charts of 109 consecutively evaluated outpatients from four psychiatrics clinics t...

Obesity is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease and has been shown to adversely affect cognitive function. Professional athletes who participate in sports, which expose them to repetitive concussions, may be at heightened risk for cognitive impairment. Here, we investigated the effects of body mass as measured by waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)...

Brain SPECT imaging is a nuclear medicine study that uses isotopes bound to neurospecific pharmaceuticals to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and indirectly metabolic activity. With current available technology and knowledge SPECT has the potential to add important clinical information to benefit patient care in many different areas of...

Over the past 20 years brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging has developed a substantial, evidence-based foundation and is now recommended by professional societies for numerous indications relevant to psychiatric practice, including dementia, brain trauma, cerebrovascular disease, seizures and complex neuropsychiatric pr...

Suicide has a high comorbidity with impulsivity and depression, and finding imaging biomarkers indicative of patients at high risk for suicidal behavior is invaluable to the clinician. Using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, we have previously reported regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) decreases in the medial prefrontal...

Over the past 20 years brain Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging has developed a substantial, evidence-based foundation and is now recommended by professional societies for numerous indications relevant to psychiatric practice. Unfortunately, SPECT in clinical practice is utilized by only a handful of clinicians. This article...

Brain injuries are common in professional American football players. Finding effective rehabilitation strategies can have widespread implications not only for retired players but also for patients with traumatic brain injury and substance abuse problems. An open label pragmatic clinical intervention was conducted in an outpatient neuropsychiatric c...

The authors recruited 100 active and former National Football League players, representing 27 teams and all positions. Players underwent a clinical history, brain SPECT imaging, qEEG, and multiple neuropsychological measures, including MicroCog. Relative to a healthy-comparison group, players showed global decreased perfusion, especially in the pre...

Obesity is a risk factor for stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Excess body fat has been linked to impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and impulsivity and may be a precursor to decline in attention and executive cognitive function. Here, we investigated the effects of high BMI on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single phot...

The ubiquitin proteasome system, generally known for its function in protein degradation, also appears to play an important role in regulating membrane trafficking. A role for the proteasome in regulating presynaptic release and vesicle trafficking has been proposed for invertebrates, but it remains to be tested in mammalian presynaptic terminals....

Background: Psychiatric diagnoses are made primarily through clinical histories, with psychiatrists searching for DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)-driven symptom clusters, and outcomes for patients have not substantially improved in decades for many disorders. Primary study objective: In this study, the research team e...

Thesis (M. .)--University of California, Los Angeles, 2000. Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references.