Quantum sensors could help identify dementia

Led by Sussex University and Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the quantum sensors are said to present a more efficient and accurate alternative to EEG and fMRI scanners. The research, carried out with scientists from Brighton University and the German National Metrology Institute PTB, is detailed in Scientific Reports.

Measuring moment-to-moment changes in the brain, the sensors track the speed at which signals move across the brain. This time-element is important because it means a patient could be scanned twice several months apart to check whether brain activity is slowing down. According to Sussex University, the technology introduces a new method to spot bio-markers of early health problems.

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“We’ve shown for the first time that quantum sensors can produce highly accurate results in terms of both space and time. While other teams have shown the benefits in terms of locating signals in the brain, this is the first time that quantum sensors have proved to be so accurate in terms of the timing of signals too,” said lead author Aikaterini Gialopsou, a doctoral researcher in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex and Brighton and Sussex Medical School. "This could be really significant for doctors and patients concerned with the development of brain disorders.”