First in Europe: high-performance head-only scanner perfect for children’s health research

The Centre of Neuroimaging Sciences at Denmark Hill Campus, King’s College London, is now home to a new investigational GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T MRI scanner, the first of its calibre in Europe. GE HealthCare is a 30 year-long industry-partner of researchers at King’s College London.

The MAGNUS system is one of the first high-performance head-only scanners, specialised for brain imaging. The new technology will allow scientists to push the boundaries of what is possible in neuroscience and psychiatric research, particularly regarding brain development.

Previously unobtainable resolution

The GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T achieves a level of detail up to 10 times finer than previous state-of-the-art commercial systems, measuring the brain in far tinier 3D volumes (voxels). Crucially, previous scanners relied on mathematical models that could only estimate broad tissue properties. The MAGNUS system allows researchers to unlock more advanced models and reveals specific features such as individual axon (the fibres that transmit electrical signals between neurons) diameters and cell sizes.

Studying developing brains

Precisely measuring axons, cellular size and their densities is crucial to researching brain development in children and young people. In a developing brain, new connections are forming. The new scanner allows highly accurate quantification of these changes in the living brain tissue.

For several developmentally linked conditions such as ADHD, autism and psychosis, the MAGNUS scanner provides a valuable tool to measure how white matter and connections develop differently in children and young people.

“What is exciting is that we can use this novel clinical scanner to generate extremely high-quality images of brain structure and function for all ages” commented Professor Steve Williams.

Importance for children and young people

Professor Steve Williams, Head of Neuroimaging at the School of Neuroscience, and his team have spent years working to make scanning more accessible to children and young people.

Conventional scanning is extremely loud and can be time consuming. This can be challenging for young children who struggle to stay still for long periods and those with ADHD or autism who may be sensitive to noise.

The MAGNUS system is compatible with new silent scanning methods previously developed by Professor Williams’ team in collaboration with GE HealthCare and with support from the NIHR Maudsley BRC.

“Scanners can be noisy. For people feeling anxious, who are neurodiverse, those with tinnitus or auditory hallucinations, the noise can make scanning intolerable. It was important to us that we made the scanners as comfortable and quiet as possible for everyone.” – Professor Steve Williams, Head of Neuroimaging at the School of Neuroscience.

The researchers have also developed imaging methods which tolerate movement during the scan, and the new MRI technologies allow for two to three times faster scanning.

“With conventional whole-body scanners, in order to image every organ, you have to compromise,” commented Professor Williams. “The GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T scanner is much more optimised for the head and neck, which means we can also choose to prioritise data quality, resolution or scan time. This is particularly good for children, who may not want to be in a scanner for a long time.”

These developments, specifically aimed at children and young people, will enable research into developmental conditions such as autism, ADHD and psychosis to be more inclusive

In recognition of its vital role for children and young people, the new scanner was partly funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People.

“The new scanner is better for kids. It’s in a lovely room, makes less noise, and during many of the scans, the child can watch a movie or listen to their favourite music, to help them feel at ease.  We want scanning to be great for science and fun for kids,” commented Professor Philip Shaw, Director of the King’s Maudsley Partnership.

An opportunity for collaboration

The scanner will be available for use by researchers across the IoPPN, NIHR Maudsley BRC, the King’s Maudsley Partnership, King’s School of Dentistry and clinicians in King’s Health Partners.

The scanner also offers opportunities for collaboration further afield across the UK and internationally. Plans are developing for an international consortium between groups using these scanners across the globe.