PYC4813
Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 29 OCTOBER 2026
Question 1: MRI, PET and Hypothesised Neuroanatomical Findings
Purpose of Neuroimaging in Thabo's Assessment
Neuroimaging was used to answer a focused clinical question rather than to
diagnose Thabo only from a scan. The neuropsychologist needed to determine
whether his poor language expression and present workplace difficulties might be
explained by a visible neurological problem, including a tumour, traumatic injury,
lesion or another structural abnormality. This was important because Thabo has a
long developmental history of late speech, weak reading and writing, and social
difficulties, yet he is now reporting new strain in the workplace. Before interpreting
his pattern as mainly neurodevelopmental, it was sensible to rule out an acquired
structural cause that could require medical treatment.
, Question 1: MRI, PET and Hypothesised Neuroanatomical Findings
Purpose of Neuroimaging in Thabo's Assessment
Neuroimaging was used to answer a focused clinical question rather than to
diagnose Thabo only from a scan. The neuropsychologist needed to determine
whether his poor language expression and present workplace difficulties might be
explained by a visible neurological problem, including a tumour, traumatic injury,
lesion or another structural abnormality. This was important because Thabo has a
long developmental history of late speech, weak reading and writing, and social
difficulties, yet he is now reporting new strain in the workplace. Before interpreting
his pattern as mainly neurodevelopmental, it was sensible to rule out an acquired
structural cause that could require medical treatment.
Why MRI Was More Suitable Than PET
Magnetic resonance imaging was the stronger first choice because standard MRI
maps brain anatomy in fine detail by using magnetic fields and signals from water
molecules, which makes it useful for showing structural abnormalities without
exposing the person to ionising radiation (Kalat, 2024). PET has a different purpose
because it measures patterns of metabolic activity after a radioactive tracer is
injected, meaning that it is more useful when the clinician wants to know which areas
are relatively active or inactive during a biological process (Kalat, 2024). PET can
therefore contribute useful functional information, but it is more invasive and less
suitable when the immediate question is whether a visible lesion or mass is present.
In Thabo's case, the MRI already answered that structural question by showing no
lesion, tumour, traumatic injury or obvious abnormality affecting hearing, while gross
brain anatomy was described as typical. This does not prove that every brain system
is functioning typically, because structural MRI cannot directly show the subtle
connectivity, developmental or activation differences that may occur in autism
spectrum disorder. In my view, the choice of MRI was therefore appropriate because
it ruled out a major structural explanation without suggesting that a normal scan
means that Thabo has no genuine neuropsychological difficulty.
Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 29 OCTOBER 2026
Question 1: MRI, PET and Hypothesised Neuroanatomical Findings
Purpose of Neuroimaging in Thabo's Assessment
Neuroimaging was used to answer a focused clinical question rather than to
diagnose Thabo only from a scan. The neuropsychologist needed to determine
whether his poor language expression and present workplace difficulties might be
explained by a visible neurological problem, including a tumour, traumatic injury,
lesion or another structural abnormality. This was important because Thabo has a
long developmental history of late speech, weak reading and writing, and social
difficulties, yet he is now reporting new strain in the workplace. Before interpreting
his pattern as mainly neurodevelopmental, it was sensible to rule out an acquired
structural cause that could require medical treatment.
, Question 1: MRI, PET and Hypothesised Neuroanatomical Findings
Purpose of Neuroimaging in Thabo's Assessment
Neuroimaging was used to answer a focused clinical question rather than to
diagnose Thabo only from a scan. The neuropsychologist needed to determine
whether his poor language expression and present workplace difficulties might be
explained by a visible neurological problem, including a tumour, traumatic injury,
lesion or another structural abnormality. This was important because Thabo has a
long developmental history of late speech, weak reading and writing, and social
difficulties, yet he is now reporting new strain in the workplace. Before interpreting
his pattern as mainly neurodevelopmental, it was sensible to rule out an acquired
structural cause that could require medical treatment.
Why MRI Was More Suitable Than PET
Magnetic resonance imaging was the stronger first choice because standard MRI
maps brain anatomy in fine detail by using magnetic fields and signals from water
molecules, which makes it useful for showing structural abnormalities without
exposing the person to ionising radiation (Kalat, 2024). PET has a different purpose
because it measures patterns of metabolic activity after a radioactive tracer is
injected, meaning that it is more useful when the clinician wants to know which areas
are relatively active or inactive during a biological process (Kalat, 2024). PET can
therefore contribute useful functional information, but it is more invasive and less
suitable when the immediate question is whether a visible lesion or mass is present.
In Thabo's case, the MRI already answered that structural question by showing no
lesion, tumour, traumatic injury or obvious abnormality affecting hearing, while gross
brain anatomy was described as typical. This does not prove that every brain system
is functioning typically, because structural MRI cannot directly show the subtle
connectivity, developmental or activation differences that may occur in autism
spectrum disorder. In my view, the choice of MRI was therefore appropriate because
it ruled out a major structural explanation without suggesting that a normal scan
means that Thabo has no genuine neuropsychological difficulty.
