8-Minute MRI Scan May Replace Painful Lumbar Puncture for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: Study Suggests - Video

New Delhi: A new study by experts from the University of Nottingham, published in Neurology journal, has found that multiple sclerosis (MS) can be accurately diagnosed using a specialized MRI scan, eliminating the need for a painful lumbar puncture.

The research introduces an 8-minute T2-weighted MRI scan* that identifies specific lesions in the brain’s white matter centered on veins—a known hallmark of multiple sclerosis. The team developed a diagnostic method called the “rule of six,” where the presence of six such lesions confirms the diagnosis.

The study was conducted with patients who had a suspected but not confirmed multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Each participant underwent both an MRI and a lumbar puncture. After an 18-month follow-up, results showed the MRI scan was just as effective in confirming multiple sclerosis.

The lumbar puncture, often described as painful by patients, can cause complications and typically requires a hospital stay, adding pressure to already stretched healthcare systems. In contrast, the new MRI scan is quick, non-invasive, and allows patients to return home immediately.

Following the study’s success and corroborating research from the USA, the International Committee for the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has endorsed MRI-based diagnosis as sufficient—making lumbar punctures unnecessary.

The lead author of the study, Professor Nikos Evangelou, Clinical Professor of Neurology at the university, said, "Not only will our findings have huge benefits for patients, but it will also mean cost savings for the NHS. People who have lumbar punctures are required to spend at least most of a day in the hospital, and for a health service already at capacity, this creates more issues. If there are complications with the lumbar puncture, the stay can be longer. With the MRI scan, it takes 8 minutes, is completely safe, and then you can go home. On average, we think we will reach the diagnosis three months earlier, and the change could save the NHS up to five million pounds each year, which can be reinvested in better services for our multiple sclerosis patients."

Reference: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/mri-can-replace-spinal-tap-to-diagnose-ms