In the field of health, this is a small revolution. Researchers at Queen Mary University, London, have created a method to predict dementia with high precision, estimated at more than 80%. And this, up to nine years before diagnosis. Their process? Analyzed brain network connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
What sets this test apart from those that already exist is that it measures brain signals during the sleep phase. In fact, the researchers analyzed 1,111 fMRI scans of people without dementia and calculated the effective connectivity between ten regions of the brain. Then, they processed them using an algorithm artificial intelligence then cross-referenced their results with those of people who had developed a neurodegenerative disease.
A “vital” test
And the results are impressive. This innovative model accurately predicted the onset of dementia up to nine years before a formal diagnosis was made, and with greater than 80% accuracy. “Predicting who will suffer from dementia in the future will be vital for developing treatments that can prevent the irreversible loss of brain cells that causes dementia symptoms,” reacted Charles Marshall, professor who led the research team at the Center for Preventive Neurology at the Wolfson Institute.
“We hope that the measure of brain function we have developed will allow us to be much more precise about whether a person will actually develop dementia and in what time frame, so that we can identify whether they might benefit from future treatments “, added the specialist. In addition to being able to prevent the risks of dementia, this study shows that it is possible to determine which population is most affected by this type of illness.
Other diseases could be predicted
“There is enormous potential to apply these methods to different brain networks and populations, to help us better understand the interactions between environment, neurobiology and disease, both in dementia and potentially in other neurodegenerative diseases“, added Samuel Ereira, lead author of this study. This method promises great scientific advances.
Especially since the technique used for this test is not bad for your health. “fMRI is a non-invasive medical imaging tool and it takes approximately 6 minutes to collect the necessary data on an MRI scanner, assured the doctor. It could therefore be integrated into existing diagnostic pathways, particularly where MRI is already used.” They hope to be able to scale this test up and make it accessible to most patients.
