A UCL study shows it is possible to cut the time for diagnostic MRI scans for dementia to one third of their standard length.
Shorter scans would be easier and more comfortable for patients and also mean more people could be scanned at a lower cost. The team behind the study say this could at least double the number of dementia scans able to be done in one day.
MRI scans often play a key role in an accurate dementia diagnosis, including ruling out other causes of symptoms and assisting in diagnosing the type of dementia. Emerging disease-modifying treatments such as lecanemab and donanemab also require an MRI scan before starting treatment and for safety monitoring during the course of treatment. Reducing the cost of scanning would contribute to lowering the total cost of delivering for such treatments.
The ADMIRA study (Accelerated Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Alzheimer's disease), part funded by Alzheimer's Society's Heather Corrie Impact Fund and supported by the BRC, aimed to understand the reliability of fast MRI scans compared to standard-of-care clinical scans.
The research team scanned 92 people in an outpatient setting where an MRI brain scan was planned as part of their routine clinical assessment. The accelerated scans were carried out and enhanced to increase the quality of the image using new scanning methods.
Three neuroradiologists examined these scans, and weren't aware if they were looking at fast or standard-of-care scans. The team found that the quicker scans reduced time in the scanner by 63% and they were as reliable as the standard-of-care scans for diagnosis and visual ratings.
The work around ultra-fast MRI is part of the BRC dementia theme strategy, led by theme director Prof Nick Fox, who is director of the Dementia Research Centre at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.
The research was also supported through the BRC Healthcare Engineering and Imaging theme, which supports Prof Geoff Parker, based at the UCL Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, who is part of the research team.
Prof Nick Fox said: “This work is central to the aim of our theme: to improve diagnosis and accelerate the search for - and delivery of - effective treatments in dementia.
“As more treatments that can slow or change the course of dementia are being developed, it's important to make sure MRI scans are available to everyone. This is because people living with dementia often need an MRI scan as part of their diagnosis before they can access these treatments.
“To help make this possible, our team carried out the first study looking at how new imaging techniques - called parallel imaging - could speed up MRI scans in clinics. Their goal is to move closer to a future where every person with dementia can get a diagnosis through a scan.”
The team will now build on their early results by making sure the approach works across different types of MRI machines, so it can benefit as many hospitals and clinics as possible.
The study is reported in the Daily Express.
