New imaging for stroke

PUFFINS: Potential use of Fast Field Cycling in Ischaemic Stroke

FFC-MRI

Fast Field-Cycling magnetic resonance imaging (FFC-MRI) is a new imaging technique developed exclusively in Aberdeen that uses very low, switchable magnetic fields to extract information related to molecules in tissues, non-invasively. A large part of that information is not accessible to conventional MRI and several pilot studies have shown great potential for clinical use in cancer, osteoarthritis and fibrosis.

FCC-MRI gives the potential to identify ‘what is going on’ in greater detail in the tissue at risk, and perhaps eventually give information on the composition of thrombus (which is blocking the blood vessel and causing the stroke) which might in future influence choice of treatments.

• FFC-MRI web site: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/research/ffc-mri/
• IDentIFY project web site: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/research/ffc-mri/research/identify-project-eu/

Project team:

• Dr Mary Joan Macleod (Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Aberdeen)
• Professor David Lurie (Research scientist, University of Aberdeen)
• Dr German Guzman-Guttierez (Stroke Physician, NHS Grampian)