Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a neurodegenerative disorder, which causes progressive loss of nerve cells controlling the muscles responsible for movement, speech, swallowing and breathing. MND is not actually a single disease, but a range of diseases; some more serious with patients dying within a year, and some less severe cases with a life expectancy of several years. It is often difficult and can take a long time to get a diagnosis of MND, by which time patients are often already very unwell.
The aim of this research study is to improve the diagnosis of MND and make it faster. The investigators plan to achieve this goal by using advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to develop new diagnostic tests for MND. The investigators will use a scanner with a very strong magnetic field of 7 tesla (7T), which provides images of the brain with increased detail compared to standard MRI scanners, which use magnetic field strengths of 1.5T or 3T. The investigators will use the advanced capability of 7T MRI to identify so-called imaging biomarkers, which are features of the scans that are specific to a particular disease, in this case MND and its different subtypes.
This is a pilot study with a relatively small number of patients. The preliminary findings from this research will be used to design larger follow-on studies aiming to establish a fast and specific diagnosis for patients living with MND. This would allow patients to enter suitable trials faster and would help patients to receive more tailored treatment.