Alzheimer’s can now be detected with just one MRI scan

• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common kind of dementia.
• It is diagnosed through a series of tests and scans.
• A single MRI scan can now detect the condition in 98 percent of cases.

Doctors can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with just one Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, according to research conducted by a team at Imperial College London.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common kind of dementia, and it is diagnosed through a series of tests and scans.

The research, which was published in Nature, focused on brain regions that aren’t linked to Alzheimer’s but could aid in diagnosis. The cerebellum and the ventral diencephalon are two of them.

The structural properties of the brain were studied using machine learning technologies.

Previously, examinations would look for protein deposits in the brain and monitor hippocampal shrinkage. However, according to the research, a single 1.5 Tesla MRI will now suffice.

The good news is that the technology is not uncommon and is commonly found in hospitals.

The brain was divided into 115 regions by the research team. An algorithm was utilised to classify cancer tumours. Any specific changes in the brain’s properties, such as size, shape, and texture, were recognised by the programme.

Experts analysed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative as well as brain scans from over 400 Alzheimer’s patients. Some were in the early phases of development, while others were nearing completion.

Healthy people and people with other neurological diseases including Parkinson’s disease made up the control group.

The new approach was able to detect the condition in 98 percent of cases. The exam could differ between early and late in 79 percent of them.