15-minute scan diagnose brain damage in newborns

A 15-minute scan could diagnose brain damage in babies up to two years earlier.

In a study of over 200 babies at seven hospitals across the UK and the US, researchers found the new method could predict damage in 98 per cent of cases.

Presently doctors use MRI scans after birth to give parents an estimation of the extent of the damage, and the possible long-term disabilities their child may face but it is only between 60-85 per cent accurate, and relies heavily on the radiologist’s judgement.

For a full diagnosis, parents must endure a two year wait to find out if their child will reach developmental goals like walking and talking. 

In the new study, led by Imperial College London, scientists used MR spectroscopy to assess the health of brain cells in an area called the thalamus, which coordinates movement, and is severely damaged by oxygen deprivation.

The scan specifically tests for a compound called N-acetylaspartate – high levels of which are found in healthy brain cells. 

In the new trial, published in the journal Lancet Neurology, the scan was performed at the same time as the routine MRI scan when a baby was between four and 14 days old.

The scan does not carry any additional cost to the NHS, and the data can be easily analysed using special software by any radiographer.

Dr Sudhin Thayyil, study author and Director of the Centre for Perinatal Neuroscience in Imperial’s Department of Medicine said: “At the moment parents have an incredibly anxious two-year wait before they can be reliably informed if their child has any long-lasting brain damage.

"But our trial - the largest of its kind - suggests this additional test, which will require just 15 minutes extra in an MRI scan, could give parents an answer when their child is just a couple of weeks old.

"This will help them plan for the future, and get the care and resources in place to support their child’s long term development.”

The trial babies then had their brain scan soon after this therapy, and detailed developmental assessment at two years of age. The results suggested the MR spectroscopy at two weeks accurately predicted the level of toddler’s development at two years old.

Dr Thayyil added that the scan may also help scientists develop new treatments to tackle brain injury in babies: “At the moment, when doctors are trialling a new therapy that may boost development of children with brain damage, they must wait two years until they can assess whether the treatment is working.

"They also need to study a large number of babies. But with this new scan, they’ll be able to assess this almost immediately, with a much smaller number of infants.”