Faster MRI Scans for Dementia Diagnosis
A study by University College London, partially funded by Alzheimer’s Society’s Heather Corrie Impact Fund, has found that diagnostic MRI scans for dementia can be reduced to one third of their standard length.
MRI scans play a crucial role in accurate dementia diagnosis, helping to rule out other causes of symptoms and diagnose the type of dementia. Reducing scan time has been hailed as a step towards ending the "postcode lottery in dementia diagnosis".
- Shorter scans would be more comfortable for patients
- More people could be scanned at a lower cost
- The number of dementia scans that can be done in a day could at least double
Cutting the time for diagnostic MRI scans for dementia has been described as a step towards ending ‘the postcode lottery in dementia diagnosis’.
New disease-modifying treatments, such as lecanemab and donaneb, also require an MRI scan before starting treatment and for safety monitoring.
Author's summary: Faster MRI scans bring new hope for dementia diagnosis.