Faster MRI Scans for Dementia Diagnosis
A study by University College London, partly 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, including ruling out other causes of symptoms and diagnosing the type of dementia.
- Shorter scans would be easier and more comfortable for patients.
- They would also mean more people could be scanned at a lower cost.
Cutting the time for diagnostic MRI scans for dementia has been described as a step towards ending 'the postcode lottery in dementia diagnosis'.
The study suggests that this could at least double the number of dementia scans able to be done in one day, which is particularly important for emerging disease-modifying treatments such as lecanemab and donaneb that require an MRI scan before and during treatment.
Author's summary: Faster MRI scans bring new hope for dementia diagnosis.