The research could ultimately benefit patients worldwide, aiming to significantly reduce the time it takes to diagnose MND.
Patients face a huge amount of uncertainty while their symptoms are being investigated, and earlier diagnosis helps give them a better chance to make the most of their lives.
Dr Agam Jung, Consultant Neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Director of the Leeds MND Centre, has recruited Dr Stuart Currie, Consultant Neuroradiologist and Dr Stefan Williams, Consultant Neurologist, to investigate the possibility of innovative techniques to provide earlier diagnosis of MND.
They will work together with colleagues from the University of Leeds to develop their research studies. It is hoped they will be up and running in early 2026 at the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, due to open later this year.
These projects have been made possible thanks to an investment of more than £230,000 by Leeds Hospitals Charity. The charity reached its £6.8 million fundraising target for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal in December 2024, and is continuing to fundraise to support research into the disease.
Dr Jung said, “I am delighted that we are launching our own MND research projects here in Leeds for the very first time. This is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time and now with the additional funding from Leeds Hospitals Charity, this vision to help early diagnosis is a reality. It’s positive news for our current and future patients.
“I am very grateful to the public for their extensive fundraising, the vision for our new centre was always to go above and beyond with patient and family care, and the research projects will help distinguish the Rob Burrow Centre for MND further.”
The ambition is to develop the much-needed Rob Burrow Centre into a place of excellence for MND care in the region, and to launch research that could potentially benefit patients worldwide.
The findings from these projects could pave the way for innovative approaches to MND diagnosis and treatment, offering new hope to patients and their families.
To find out more about the Rob Burrow Centre for MND visit www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/mnd
Research project 1 – A UK-first for MND – MRF (Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting)
Dr Currie plans to use a novel MRI (Medical Resonance Imaging) technique called MR Fingerprinting (MRF) to detect upper motor neurone signs in the brain.
Unlike standard MRI used in clinical practice, MRF quickly quantifies multiple brain areas at once. This provides measurements of brain tissue, which allows the identification of abnormalities in the brain tissue of patients with MND.
Dr Currie has collaborated with Professor Dan Ma in the US to learn how this technique can be adapted for use in MND and University of Leeds colleague, Professor Jurgen Schneider, will be bringing this technology from the US team in the autumn, with an aim to start testing with patients in early 2026.
Research project 2 – A UK-first for MND – Computer vision to detect the signs of MND
Currently, most people with suspected MND undergo a specialised test using painful needles and electricity, called electromyography (EMG).
Dr Williams plans to test a new way of detecting and measuring the signs of MND, using artificial intelligence on videos of patients’ limbs and tongues to identify small muscle twitches that are a key sign of the condition.