Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease
A study published in Academic Radiology assessed the combined use of amyloid beta PET (Aβ PET) and structural MRI (sMRI) in detecting Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that the combined modalities significantly improved differentiation between healthy older adults and those with Alzheimer’s, showing an 89% area under the curve (AUC), 95% sensitivity, and 89% accuracy. The study highlighted the effectiveness of this combination in early detection and classification, suggesting better diagnostic outcomes compared to using either modality alone.
For more details, visit the full article here.
Safer for Children: Photon-Counting CT Scanner
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health has introduced a photon-counting CT scanner designed to be safer for children by reducing radiation exposure. This next-generation technology enhances image quality, aiding in the diagnosis of subtle conditions, and features a child-friendly environment to ease anxiety. This innovation represents a significant advancement in pediatric radiology, emphasizing safety and precision.
For more detailed information, you can visit the Stanford Medicine Children’s Health blog.
Flortaucipir PET Imaging in Athletes
A study published in the Journal of Neurology reveals that flortaucipir PET imaging can detect grey matter atrophy in retired athletes with a history of concussions, who are at risk of neurodegenerative diseases. The research compared PET and MRI scans of retired athletes and normal controls, finding a significant association between higher tau-PET signals, reduced grey matter volumes, and lower memory scores. This study supports the use of tau-PET in identifying neuropathological changes linked to conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
For more details, visit the full article.
Higher Radiation Doses in CT Scans
A study in the European Journal of Radiology found that higher radiation doses in CT scans do not consistently improve image quality. The research, involving 40 CT scanners, showed significant variances in image quality and radiation dose due to differences in hardware, software, and local practices. The findings suggest that standardizing image quality and dose across different scanners and vendors is challenging. They emphasize the need for refined image quality criteria to optimize dose reduction efforts in abdominal CT and other anatomical regions.
For more details, visit Health Imaging.
Sources:
healthimaging.com
auntminnie.com
diagnosticimaging.com
healthier.stanfordchildrens.org
openai.com