Simple scan predicts aging and chronic disease risk
Scientists from Duke, Harvard, and the University of Otago have created DunedinPACNI—a new MRI-based tool that can spot how fast your brain is aging and flag your risk for dementia or chronic illnesses.
It works by analyzing midlife brain scans to give you a "Pace of Aging" score, which links closely to future health.
Trained on data from over 1,000 people
DunedinPACNI was trained on data from over 1,000 people tracked since birth in New Zealand.
By looking at brain scans taken around age 45, it can predict who might face cognitive decline or dementia years before symptoms show up.
The tool's accuracy has been tested on more than 50,000 scans worldwide.
Could help in preventing serious conditions like dementia
Catching early signs means doctors could step in sooner with ways to delay or even prevent serious conditions like dementia—no matter your background or income.
For anyone thinking about their future health (or their family's), this tech could be a real game changer.