It is said that the number of dementia patients in Japan will exceed 2025 million in 700.Among them, early detection of Alzheimer-type dementia, which accounts for about half of dementia, is important for symptom suppression.

　MRI examination is common for the treatment of dementia.A method called VBM, which objectively evaluates atrophy of a specific part of the brain, is useful for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment and predicting the transition to Alzheimer's disease.However, it is difficult to confirm dementia with VBM alone.On the other hand, as a new MRI measurement technology, there is a method called QSM that analyzes the distribution of iron concentration quantification that Hitachi is developing, and it is said that high-precision inspection is possible when combined with VBM.

　However, with current MRI examinations, it takes more than 10 minutes to obtain the images required for VBM and QSM, and about 20 minutes to analyze.The patient also needs to rest for at least 10 minutes during the test.Therefore, it is required to shorten the examination time in order to reduce the burden on the patient and to improve the accuracy of the captured image.

　In this project, we aim to shorten the imaging time to around 5 minutes by developing a new hybrid imaging method that enables simultaneous imaging of QSM and VBM, and to significantly reduce the analysis time by developing a hybrid analysis method.In addition, by utilizing the results of clinical research and the results of other MRI examination methods, comprehensive analysis of captured images can be used for differential diagnosis of healthy subjects and patients with mild cognitive impairment, and differential diagnosis of healthy subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease. We will also improve the analysis accuracy.

By achieving these goals, it is possible to carry out highly accurate examinations while reducing the physical burden on patients and contribute to the early detection of dementia.