NHS trials ultra-fast brain scans and other new tech in bid to diagnose dementia sooner

The NHS will trial ultra-fast brain scans and other new technology in a bid to diagnose dementia sooner.

Researchers believe they can slash the time patients spend in an MRI scanner from 20 minutes to as little as six minutes, while still obtaining all the diagnostic information they need.

The machines are increasingly required for accurate diagnosis, assessing eligibility for new Alzheimer's drugs and monitoring their effectiveness.

But capacity in the UK is severely limited, with the shortage of scanners causing a major bottleneck that fuels long delays.

Cutting scan times by around 70 per cent would be a game-changer, as it could improve access, lower costs and make imaging more tolerable for patients.

The faster scans are one of nine new technologies being tested in the NHS as part of an £80 million taxpayer-funded research project.

It wants to drastically accelerate the time it takes for patients to receive a diagnosis, with the aim of diagnosing 92 per cent of people within 18 weeks of a referral to a memory clinic.

The rate is currently just 60 per cent, with diagnoses often taking more than a year.

Capacity in the UK is severely limited, with the shortage of MRI scanners causing a major bottleneck that fuels long delays.

Everyone experiences dementia differently. Use this checklist to help you make a note of your symptoms before you talk to your GP.

Early diagnosis can reduce the likelihood of emergency hospital admissions, delay the need for greater care support and reduce the impact of dementia on the NHS.

It may also allow patients to receive treatment sooner and make informed decisions about work, care, finances and family life.

The Daily Mail and Alzheimer's Society have partnered in a drive to defeat dementia, which claims 76,000 lives a year as Britain's biggest killer.

The Defeating Dementia campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease, in an effort to increase early diagnosis, boost research and improve care.

The ultra-fast scan trial, led by University College London, is working with all three major MRI scanner manufacturers - Philips, Siemens and GE - at 20 NHS sites to establish how they can be implemented in dementia care.

The new research is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) via UK Research and Innovation.

The other eight projects include remote monitoring of cognitive decline using a tablet, computer or smartphone; home monitoring equipment and body sensors that detect subtle changes in a person's behaviour; and blood biomarker tests.

Health minister Karin Smyth said: 'We know how important it is to get a timely dementia diagnosis, so people can manage their symptoms and access life-improving support sooner.

'Dementia has been neglected for far too long.

'But this Government is supporting the kind of groundbreaking research projects that give us all hope of a future where loved ones stay with us for longer, with more joy and more life to live.'

UKRI is adopting a 'fail-fast' approach for this programme, where projects need to achieve results and reach milestones to receive funding so only those showing real promise continue to receive support.

This is a move away from UKRI's traditional model of awarding single grants for longer term projects, with the aim of ensuring results and impacts are delivered quickly, and the highest-potential projects get ongoing support.

Andy Hill, Health Mission Challenge Director at the UKRI, said: 'By developing better diagnostic and prognostic tools, we can help people living with dementia understand and manage their symptoms, get earlier access to treatment and plan for their futures.

'That will mean better lives for people living with dementia and for their family and carers. '

Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'Too many families wait more than a year for a dementia diagnosis. This is about changing that, and fast.

'By testing new technologies and backing only those that work, we can get the best innovations into the NHS far sooner.

'Faster, accurate diagnosis is also essential as new medicines work best early in the disease.

'A cure is in sight but only research will deliver it. This investment is an important step towards a future where dementia is diagnosed quickly and treatments that can change the course of the disease, delivered.'

Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, said:

'At any one time one in three people living with dementia in the UK do not have a diagnosis, meaning they are missing out on treatment, support and opportunities to take part in research.

'The Dementia Challenge could be a game changer and shorten the path to diagnosis by testing and rapidly scaling innovative technologies in real NHS settings.

'Alzheimer's Society is proud to support the Dementia Challenge and help turn promising innovations into real improvements for people affected by dementia.

'Now the Government must match this ambition by introducing a national 18-week target from referral to diagnosis.'