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MRI Predicts Cognitive Decline | CEM for Screening
October 31, 2024
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Together with
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“Are radiologists like John Henry, banging away at the mountain as the steam engine creeps up behind us? Or will AI in radiology end up like the Segway, the Fitbit, Google Glass, Bitcoin, or Theranos – at best a nifty tool, at worst an utter sham?”
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Radiology resident Arjun Byju, MD, on predictions AI would take radiologists’ jobs.
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Radiology facilities are turning to cloud-based PACS to solve many of their medical image management needs in an era of workforce shortage, resource constraints, and cybersecurity attacks. Learn about their experiences in this Imaging Wire Show interview with Amy Thompson of Signify Research and radiologist Marc Kohli, MD.
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Early detection of cognitive decline is becoming increasingly important as new therapies become available for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. A new 20-year study in JAMA Network Open shows that MRI can detect structural brain changes indicating future cognitive decline – years before symptoms occur.
Longitudinal research has shown that subtle changes in body structure – be they in the heart, brain, or other organs – can predict future disease risk, in some cases decades in advance.
- That enables the possibility of targeted treatments or behavioral interventions to reduce risk before sick patients experience a cascade of expensive and invasive therapies.
Mild cognitive impairment is an excellent example. MCI can be a transition to more serious diseases like Alzheimer’s, and previous research has connected it to vascular risk factors that are signs of brain atrophy.
- In the current paper, researchers analyzed MRI scans acquired as part of the BIOCARD cohort, a longitudinal study started in 1995 in which cognitively normal participants got baseline brain MRI scans and follow-up exams.
In a group of 185 BIOCARD participants, researchers tracked how many transitioned to MCI over a mean follow-up period of 20 years, then compared structural brain changes on MRI, finding …
- 60 participants (32%) progressed to MCI, eight of whom later developed dementia (4.3%).
- Those with white-matter atrophy on MRI had an 86% higher chance of progression to MCI, the highest rate of any variable studied.
- Participants with enlargement of the ventricles on MRI had 71% higher risk.
- Other variables like diabetes and amyloid pathology also had higher risk, but not at the rate of the MRI-detected variables.
The findings indicate that white-matter volume is closely associated with cognitive function in aging, and that people with higher rates of change are more likely to develop MCI.
- The association of diabetes with MCI was not a shock, but researchers said they were surprised there was no association from risk factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking.
The Takeaway
The new findings demonstrate the power of MRI to predict pathology years in advance – the question is how and whether to put this knowledge into clinical practice. One could almost see structural brain scans incorporated into whole-body MRI screening exams (if anyone’s listening).
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Harnessing the Power of AI to Improve Patient Care
Endeavor Health is one of the first healthcare providers in the Midwest to use AI in the echocardiography lab. Learn how they are harnessing echo AI’s tremendous potential to improve diagnostic capabilities and help patients on this page from Us2.ai.
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Leading Radiology Forward at RSNA 2024
DeepHealth is leading radiology forward through AI-powered informatics and smart technology. Book a meeting today at RSNA 2024 booth #1340 to learn how they can help you achieve increased staff productivity and a better experience for patients and staff.
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- CEM Does Well in Long-Term Study: Contrast-enhanced mammography performed well in a study that assessed clinical outcomes over 10 years in women at intermediate breast cancer risk or with dense breast tissue. In a study in European Journal of Radiology, researchers analyzed data from 5.4k women, finding that CEM had 96% sensitivity, 82% specificity, and a cancer detection rate of 13.1 cases per 1k women. CEM works well for women with dense breasts, with breast MRI reserved for high-risk women due to higher cost and limited availability.
- Knowing Symptoms Aids Diagnosis: Radiologists who knew more about patients’ low back pain symptoms when reading their MR images had more accurate interpretations. In a study in Radiology, radiologists read lumbar spine MR images from patients who also filled out pre-scan questionnaires on the location and severity of their back pain. Radiologists with access to symptom data in the EHR had higher diagnostic certainty than those who didn’t (80 vs. 61), and the performance of these radiologists was closer to that of spine specialists.
- Telix Partners with Subtle Medical: Radiotracer developer Telix Pharmaceuticals has partnered with Subtle Medical to apply its SubtlePET image reconstruction solution to Telix’s Illuccix gallium-68 PSMA PET tracer. SubtlePET enables up to 75% faster PET scanning without compromising image quality, leading to improved workflow for Illuccix users. The partnership could be extended to other Telix PET tracers as they are approved, like the Pixclara brain tracer.
- Mobile Stroke Units Speed Care: A new paper supports the effectiveness of mobile stroke units – ambulances outfitted with portable CT scanners to diagnose patients and start IV thrombolysis on the way to the hospital. In JAMA Neurology, researchers found that 1.2k patients with acute ischemic stroke who were transported in MSUs had 3% better measures on the UW-mRS stroke outcome scale and 8% higher likelihood of being ambulatory at discharge. Although other outcome measures were inconclusive, researchers felt the findings were strong enough to support expanded use of MSUs.
- Qure Joins Roche Pilot Project: Qure.ai is partnering with lab diagnostics giant Roche on a pilot project to investigate AI’s utility for earlier detection of cardiovascular conditions and lung diseases in the Asia-Pacific region. The collaboration is taking place as part of Roche’s Startup Creasphere, which aims to promote digital health innovation through pilot projects addressing important health issues.
- Lighter Radiation Protection Gear: A new generation of lighter radiation protection gear offers just as much protection as heavier sets. In a new study in JVS-Vascular Insights, researchers compared radiation protection sets from Burlington Medical with different levels of lead-equivalent thickness: the 0.35mm Xenolite and the 0.5mm Enviro-Lite. There was no statistically significant difference in radiation attenuation between the two, but the 0.35mm set was 29% lighter at 5 kg (11 lb) vs. 7 kg (15 lb). Lighter garments could reduce musculoskeletal injuries for interventional staff.
- Fujifilm Updates MRI Software: Fujifilm Healthcare Americas has launched new software for its 1.5T Echelon Synergy MRI scanner that includes deep learning-based workflow improvements. The Echelon Synergy v10 update includes the Synergy DLR Clear reconstruction protocol for reducing truncation artifacts, as well as Synergy Vision, a motion artifact reduction technology that combines multiple in-bore cameras with the StillShot AI algorithm to correct images affected by patient motion. Also included in v10 is AutoPose, an automatic slice selection technique for breast, hip, and spine applications.
- Glucose Monitors Can Be Worn During Imaging: The FDA has given Abbott the go-ahead to remove contraindications against patients wearing its diabetes glucose monitoring sensors during imaging procedures like X-ray, CT, and MRI. Patients can now wear Abbott’s Libre 2 and 3 monitors during their imaging studies, making it more convenient for them. The FDA has been closely monitoring the impact of imaging studies on medical devices.
- AI Training Partnership: Data aggregation firm Gradient Health has signed a partnership with Protege covering the training of AI algorithms. Gradient’s medical imaging datasets will be available on the Protege platform, which connects data holders with AI algorithm developers. The partnership is expected to speed the development of multimodality, longitudinal datasets in specialties like radiology, oncology, and chronic disease management. Gradient earlier this month acquired data aggregator DataAppraisal.
- PocketHealth Taps CMO: PocketHealth has appointed its first chief medical officer, Seetharam (Ram) Chadalavada, MD. Chadalavada has 20 years of experience in radiology, informatics, and clinical practice, and in his new role will support product innovation and contribute to strategic business decisions with PocketHealth management. He will continue to maintain a clinical appointment at the University of Cincinnati and serve as vice chair of radiology – informatics at UC Health.
- Enlitic Partners with NewVue: Hot off its acquisition of data migration firm Laitek, image standardization company Enlitic cemented a partnership with NewVue, a developer of radiology workflow software. The alliance will focus on automating data standardization, with benefits coming to PACS viewer hanging protocols, dictation system template selection, worklist case assignment, and AI study analysis orchestration. It also makes possible projects in AI-driven clinical research and contract research organizations.
- Musk Touts Grok for Medical Images: Elon Musk is highlighting the ability of the Grok generative AI chatbot to analyze medical images. In an October 29 post to X, Musk suggested users “try submitting x-ray, PET, MRI or other medical images” to Grok for analysis, which led to a number of X users posting their Grok results, with varying success. Grok is part of Musk’s xAI business, and his post came on the same day the Wall Street Journal said xAI was in talks to raise $40B.
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Seamless, Connected Healthcare
Clearpath is committed to facilitating seamless, continued healthcare by optimizing automation and workflows between patients and providers. Learn how the company’s solutions contribute to a healthcare environment where every step of the patient journey is connected and efficient.
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Catch What You’ve Missed on Unboxing AI
Missed an episode of Unboxing AI, CARPL’s video series on AI in radiology? Check out all the past episodes on their YouTube channel.
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3 Good Reasons to Add Mammography
There are three good reasons to add mammography services at your imaging site as providers expect higher demand for breast imaging services. Get the facts about mammography on this resource page from Siemens Healthineers.
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- Connecting Patients to Exceptional Care: Mach7 Technologies’ enterprise imaging solutions connect patients and clinicians across the globe to enable exceptional care. As modern healthcare evolves, so should your strategies. Schedule a demo at RSNA 2024 or stop by booth #3953 to learn more.
- Integrating AI into Clinical Practice: AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but it requires a collaborative effort between clinicians and AI experts. In this micro-learning course from Calantic by Bayer, learn about the latest developments in healthcare AI.
- Connect with Intelerad at RSNA 2024: Connect with Intelerad at RSNA 2024 to see how they can empower your radiology team to deliver faster, more accurate diagnostics. Visit them at booth #6113 to see how they’re solving everyday radiology workflow challenges with scalable, cloud-based solutions.
- Explore Opportunities with Prenuvo at RSNA 2024: Discover how Prenuvo is advancing research and redefining the future of healthcare at booth #1239 at RSNA 2024. Learn about their cutting-edge MRI technology first-hand and explore partnership opportunities.
- AI for Limb Fractures on X-Ray: AI can recognize limb fractures on X-rays and reduce interpretation discrepancies between radiology and emergency departments. Learn how Gleamer’s BoneView AI algorithm performed in this new research study.
- Connect with United Imaging at RSNA 2024: United Imaging will be celebrating the theme of Building Intelligent Connections at RSNA 2024. Come visit the company at booth #1929 to learn about their imaging solutions and how they connect to United’s mission of Equal Healthcare for All.
- Groundbreaking Innovations at RSNA 2024: Visit AGFA HealthCare at RSNA 2024 to learn about groundbreaking new enterprise imaging innovations. Drop by booth #2565 to see for yourself how to elevate productivity and efficiency while facilitating growth and collaboration across universal imaging ecosystems.
- Turning Medical Imaging into Great Medicine: TeraRecon is continually innovating to bring the latest in advanced visualization capabilities to radiology. Intuition 4.7 includes a variety of new features, from structural heart workflow to the ability to trigger AI on demand. Learn more about them on this page.
- Meet Merge at RSNA 2024: Merge is looking forward to sharing a wide range of news, innovations, and updates at RSNA 2024. Join us at booth #6100 to explore how our imaging solutions put your workspaces, clinicians, and transformation into focus
- Clarity, Speed, and Confidence for MRI Efficiency: Radiologists have used a variety of methods to improve efficiency, but many of these methods come with drawbacks. Find out in this article how SpinTech MRI takes on the challenge of MRI efficiency with its STAGE software.
- AI and Matters of the Heart: As clinicians face increasing pressure from all sides, can AI provide some much-needed breathing space? In this article from Blackford, learn more about how AI is assisting with cardiac imaging with modalities ranging from CT to echocardiography.
- How to Standardize CT Images: The quality and appearance of CT scans can vary considerably. In this white paper from Riverain Technologies, find out how image normalization can standardize CT images, making them easier to analyze and interpret.
- Come See Enlitic at RSNA 2024: Visit Enlitic at RSNA 2024 at booth #4365 to learn how the company is revolutionizing radiology with its data standardization solutions, including data migration technology through its acquisition of Laitek. Book a demo today.
- Missed Appointments and Last-Minute Cancellations Can Add Up: Every missed appointment can cost providers an average of $200. PocketHealth’s new Appointment Reminders service can decrease no-show rates by up to 30%. Find out how in this article.
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