The case for a new type of medical scanner for stroke patients

‘Time is brain’ is a common mantra among stroke specialists that perfectly sums up the urgency of shortening the time between the onset of symptoms and commencing treatment. Some 1.9 million neurons and 14 billion synapses are lost every minute during an acute ischaemic event, and compared with the normal rate of neuron loss in ageing the ischaemic brain ages 3.6 years each hour without treatment. Minimising the onset-to-treatment time gives these patients the best possible outlook, assuming that no pre-existing health issues dominate the outcome. It also helps to reduce the enormous cost of stroke to the nation, which during 2018 stood at £26 billion for the UK and could reach £75 billion by 2035 if the current trajectory is maintained.

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