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.

Reducing the time for diagnostic MRI scans for dementia has been described as a step towards ending ‘the postcode lottery in dementia diagnosis’. 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.

Emerging disease-modifying treatments such as lecanemab and donaneb 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.

Professor Nick Fox, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Dementia Research Centre at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, said:

“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.

Read more about this study at: Alzheimer’s Society.