New MRI techniques ‘can help to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s’

A new MRI scanning and analysis method has been devised by scientists which makes it easier to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brains of patients.

Researchers based at University Hospitals of Geneva have devised a technique called susceptibility-weighted MRI, which allows more detailed images of the blood vessels in the brain to be produced.

This data was then analysed using support vector machine artificial intelligence systems in order to identify patterns.

It was found that patients with a higher concentration of cerebral microhaemorrhages or microbleeds were more likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as demonstrating distinctive patterns of iron deposits in the brain.

This could be a key discovery, as around half of those with early-stage MCI go on to develop Alzheimer's.

Lead researcher and radiologist Dr Sven Haller said: "The goal of my work is to identify biomarkers of MCI that will help us diagnose individual patients at risk of further decline."

Data from the Alzheimer's Society shows that 750,000 people currently suffer from dementia in the UK.