Employee Feature | Jessica Heath
Jessica Heath is a Neurological Occupational Therapist here at Cognitive FX.
Jessica received her degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Utah. Jessica has mostly worked with...
fNCI Beginnings & Research
For over a decade, Notus Neuropsychological Imaging has been researching the human brain and the effects of concussion. During this time, Notus developed an imaging technology called Functional NeuroCognitive Imaging (fNCI) that examines over 60 regions of the brain, making it possible to objectively diagnose a concussion or mTBI. fNCI can accurately depict which brain regions are overcompensating for others and which regions are not working enough, giving the therapists at Cognitive FX specific neuromarkers that clarify the severity and extent of a concussion.
Objective Diagnosis of Concussion
fNCI is the most objective diagnostic tool to identify whether someone has a concussion or something else. The scan typically takes about an hour and a half, and participants perform various cognitive tasks while being scanned. An individual must be able to see and follow instructions to complete the tasks in the fNCI scan.
“As we have used fNCI (functional NeuroCognitive Imaging) to study brain activation, we have not only learned how a normal brain should function, but we have also found neuromarkers that indicate deficits from a concussion,” said Dr. Alina Fong, one of the researchers that helped develop the fNCI technology. The technology has also allowed for the correction of misdiagnosed cases. “We have had some patients come to us with the diagnosis of dementia, but when we put them into the fNCI they are showing the neuromarkers for a concussion,” said Fong.
With standard diagnostic modalities available today, doctors and specialists do a lot of guess work hoping their approach for treatment works. fNCI gives Dr. Fong, Dr. Allen, and the whole Cognitive FX team of specialists the ability to identify a concussion and create an effective treatment to target specific brain regions. fNCI reveals where a brain is hyper- or hypo-activated, making it clear where therapists need to focus and which tasks to administer to bring about optimal results.
With the foundation of fNCI, this comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan, known as EPIC Treatment, has been shown to significantly reduce post-concussion symptoms and increase brain functioning in one week. You can find more informtaion about their normative data set, and long-term patient outcomes here.
Learn more About Cognitive FX and how they use fNCI Technology Here > | Contact Cognitive FX Here >
