'Clever physics' cuts scan time by two-thirds

Using “clever physics”, Prof Fox and colleagues sped up scanning so more information was gathered simultaneously. This cut the total scan time by almost two thirds.

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both scans and join the study, which was funded by Alzheimer’s Society. Magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnet to align protons in the body. They are then knocked out of alignment by pulses of radiowaves.

As the protons realign, sensors detect the energy released to gather information about the type of tissue then convert it to images.

Lying still in the machine can be very challenging for patients who are claustrophobic or have memory problems and may forget to do so.

Including the time taken to get patients in and out of the scanner, the experts said this method could at least double capacity.

The team showed three neuro-radiologists anonymised images from 92 volunteers. The ultra-fast scans were found to be just as reliable as the standard ones.

Prof Fox said: “What we found was that, when we didn’t tell them which scans were fast or standard, experienced neuro-radiologists couldn’t tell the difference.

“The diagnostic ability was just as good, and in some cases slightly better because there was less blurring from people moving.

“It made much more difference which radiologist looked at your scan, or which day of the week it was.” NHS data for August showed that 66% of people living with dementia were thought to have a diagnosis. Charities have warned this means one-third are left without support.

Prof Fox said that ministers and the NHS must be more ambitious not only in diagnosing the condition but in providing a diagnosis of its underlying cause. He added: “Saying ‘it’s dementia’ is like saying ‘it’s a rash’. If you went to see your GP, you wouldn’t accept them just saying ‘yes, it’s a rash’.