SimonMed Imaging has inked a research collaboration with Oxford Brain Diagnostics to explore using cortical disarray measurement (CDM) to better diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.
The research will investigate CDM in patients with mild cognitive impairment to evaluate for possible Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The companies aim to demonstrate the accuracy and efficacy of CDM compared with other diagnostic methods including standard MRI and PET.
Oxford Brain Diagnostics has developed a new software analysis tool that the company claims is more sensitive to neuronal degeneration in the brain’s gray matter, supporting earlier diagnosis of many forms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, posterior cortical atrophy, and frontotemporal dementia. The tool is pending 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Under terms of the deal, Oxford Brain Diagnostics will analyze data from patients and controls scanned at several SimonMed facilities, applying CDM, which tracks the diffusion properties of water in the brain’s gray matter. The idea is that disrupted diffusion can result from tissue degeneration and is an early indicator of several forms of dementia.
The companies highlighted that establishing this partnership will make way for further insights into discovering the important role that the cortical microstructure will play in a clinical setting with access to standard MRI.
