“If it is successful, this technique will make dementia diagnosis and monitoring much safer, faster, and more accessible.”
Watch the full interview with Dr Jun Cao below.
Project Summary:
Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide, and early, accurate diagnosis is essential for managing symptoms, guiding treatment, and improving quality of life. Current tools like FDG-PET scans, which track how the brain uses glucose, are effective but costly, involve radioactive injections, and are not widely available. These factors limit their use, particularly in older or vulnerable populations. Our project is investigating a new MRI-based technique called Magnetic Resonance Electrical Properties Tomography (MREPT), which is fast, non-invasive, and radiation-free. MREPT measures the brain’s electrical conductivity, a property linked to metabolic activity and function. Previous research has shown that brain conductivity changes with age, rises with activity, and decreases after alcohol consumption, reflecting patterns seen in PET scans.
MREPT has also been applied in studies of pain, spinal cord injury, and mild head impacts, detecting subtle brain changes even when conventional MRI appears normal. More recently, we have begun exploring its use in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and dementia. In this study, we will directly compare MREPT with FDG-PET in people being assessed for suspected dementia. We aim to determine whether MREPT can reveal the same brain changes, distinguish between different dementia types, and offer a more comfortable and accessible experience for patients. Our ultimate goal is to develop a safer, faster, and widely available brain scan that supports early diagnosis, monitoring, and detection of treatment-related changes such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA).
The Brain Foundation is dedicated to funding the next generation of Australian research into brain disorders, diseases, and injuries, with the ultimate goal of advancing diagnoses, treatments, and patient outcomes.