We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Researchers Use MRI and ASL Techniques to Diagnose Alzheimer’s

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 06 Jul 2016
Print article
Image: An MRI scan showing shrinkage of the frontal and temporal lobes, indicative of dementia (Photo courtesy of SPL).
Image: An MRI scan showing shrinkage of the frontal and temporal lobes, indicative of dementia (Photo courtesy of SPL).
Researchers have found that they can use Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) together with machine learning to detect early forms of dementia.

ASL-MRI perfusion maps show the distribution of blood in various regions of the brain, and can help clinicians detect Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and other early forms of dementia. Functional changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are already present before structural changes become evident in imaging scans.

The study that included 260 participants was published on July 6, 2016, in the online issue of the journal Radiology. The researchers taught an automated machine learning program to recognize patterns in the perfusion maps so that they could identify the levels of cognitive impairment of a patient. One hundred patients were diagnosed with probable Alzheimer’s disease, 60 were diagnosed with MCI, and 100 with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD). The study included 26 healthy control subjects.

Using the new technique the researchers were able to differentiate between patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and those with MCI and SCD. Using automated machine learning training the researchers could then predict the diagnosis of a single patient with an accuracy of between 82% and 90%.

Alle Meije Wink, PhD, principal investigator of the study from the VU Medical Center (VUmc; Amsterdam, Netherlands), said, “An MRI can help with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is problematic. With standard diagnostic MRI, we can see advanced Alzheimer’s disease, such as atrophy of the hippocampus. But at that point, the brain tissue is gone and there’s no way to restore it. It would be helpful to detect and diagnose the disease before it’s too late. ASL is a promising alternative functional biomarker for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. ASL MRI can identify brain changes that appear early in disease process, when there’s a window of opportunity for intervention. If the disease process from SCD to MCI to Alzheimer’s disease could be intercepted or slowed, this technique could play a role in screening.”

Related Links:
VU Medical Center

Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
New
Portable Radiology System
DRAGON ELITE & CLASSIC
New
Ultrasound System
Acclarix AX9
New
Ultrasound Software
UltraExtend NX

Print article

Channels

Radiography

view channel
:	Image: The AI model could be a valuable adjunct to human radiologists in breast cancer diagnoses and risk prediction (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI Model Predicts 5-Year Breast Cancer Risk from Mammograms

Approximately 13% of U.S. women, or one in every eight, are predicted to develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetime, with 1 in 39 women (3%) succumbing to the illness, according to the American... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The AI system uses scintigraphy imaging for early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI System Automatically and Reliably Detects Cardiac Amyloidosis Using Scintigraphy Imaging

Cardiac amyloidosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of abnormal protein deposits (amyloids) in the heart muscle, severely affects heart function and can lead to heart failure or death without... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: The Cinematic Reality app enables interaction with realistic renderings of human anatomy (Photo courtesy of Siemens)

AR Application Turns Medical Scans Into Holograms for Assistance in Surgical Planning

Siemens Healthineers (Erlangen, Germany) has launched an app designed for Apple Vision Pro that allows users including surgeons, medical students, or patients to view immersive, interactive holograms of... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: Samsung Medison CEO Mr. Yongkwan Kim and Bracco Imaging CEO Dr. Fulvio Renoldi Bracco endorsed a MoU agreement (Photo courtesy of Bracco Group)

Samsung and Bracco Enter Into New Diagnostic Ultrasound Technology Agreement

Samsung Medison (Seoul, South Korea) and Bracco Imaging (Milan, Italy) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to pioneer a new area for diagnostic ultrasound devices and contrast agents.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.