title: Is computed tomography still useful as a neuroimaging tool in psychiatry?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computed tomography (CT) has played a pivotal role in psychiatry from its inception; however with the advent of other high-resolution noninvasive neuroimaging techniques such as MRI, the field has gone through a dramatic transformation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article will explore the current role of CT in psychiatry.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive search of the published literature (1970 - 2008) was conducted, employing a number of databases and terms relevant to CT and imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At present CT is primarily used as a screening tool to exclude intracranial pathology. This is partly because it is widely available and less expensive than other imaging modalities. CT is unable to provide region-specific information like MRI and this has restricted its use in disorders in which functional disturbances are suspected, however it remains the preferred mode of investigation where gross structural abnormalities are suspected.
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, Northern Clinical School, Academic Discipline of Psychological Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Pritha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lagopoulos
authors.forename: Oddbjørn
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sæther
authors.forename: Gin S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Malhi