Can a Laser Replace MRI Scans? One Bold Experiment Says Yes
In a discovery that could reshape how we view and understand the human brain, researchers have successfully passed a laser beam through an entire human head. While it may sound like science fiction, this quiet milestone could pave the way for faster, cheaper, and noninvasive brain scans.
The work comes from a team at the University of Glasgow, who set out to push the limits of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
This technology already offers a portable, low-cost way to monitor brain activity, but until now, it's only been able to peek a few centimeters beneath the skull. For anything deeper, expensive MRI machines have been the standard.
That may be about to change. By boosting the power of the laser (within safe limits) and improving the light-collection setup, scientists managed to transmit photons from one side of the skull to the other.
It worked on just one out of eight participants—a bald man with fair skin—but it proved something previously thought impossible: a beam of light can travel through the entire human head.
The implications are huge. If refined, this technology could close the gap between inexpensive tools like EEG and high-resolution, high-cost MRI scans. In the future, diagnosing strokes, brain injuries, or tumors might not require hospital-grade equipment—just a small, light-based scanner.
What made this breakthrough even more compelling was the way the light traveled. Instead of bouncing randomly through the skull, photons followed predictable paths, especially through more transparent areas like cerebrospinal fluid. That opens the door to more targeted imaging, where specific brain regions could be scanned with precision.
To validate the experiment, researchers used 3D head models to predict photon movement and then compared the results to actual light data. The results aligned, adding credibility to what may one day be a revolutionary shift in brain imaging.
It's early days. Scanning took 30 minutes, and the conditions were highly specific. But it's a proof of concept with massive potential.
For now, it's just one beam of light. In the future, it could be the foundation of a global leap in how doctors see the brain.Can a Laser Replace MRI Scans? One Bold Experiment Says Yes first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 22, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
an hour ago
- Medscape
CMR in MINOCA Linked to Improved Diagnosis and Management
TOPLINE: In a prospective study of over 300 patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was associated with meaningful changes in clinical diagnosis and/or management in 63% of patients and a similar increase in diagnostic certainty. METHODOLOGY: Previous CMR studies in MINOCA have focused on radiologic yield — a limited metric that does not reflect real‐world clinical utility. Prospective data on patient care are lacking. This prospective study conducted in Australia and the UK assessed the impact of CMR on diagnosis and management in 320 patients with MINOCA (mean age, 55.6 years; 52% men) recruited between January 2019 and July 2023. Patients were included if they had a hospital admission with acute features consistent with the Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction, no obstructive coronary artery disease on angiography, and a clinician assessment indicating acute myocardial infarction as the most likely presentation. The treating cardiologists completed a questionnaire before and after CMR to record their working diagnosis, rate diagnostic certainty on a 1-10 scale (10 = most certain), and specify intended management, including medications and follow-up testing. The primary endpoint was a composite of change in clinical diagnosis or management after CMR. TAKEAWAY: CMR was associated with a change in diagnosis or management in 63% of patients (P < .001), with diagnosis revised in 38% and management changed in 50%. Diagnostic certainty increased significantly from a median score of 6-8 after CMR (P < .001), and diagnostic confidence numerically increased in 63% of patients. The absence of coronary atheroma, a pre-CMR diagnostic certainty score ≤ 5, and early CMR (performed within 14 days of hospital presentation) independently predicted a change in diagnosis or management, with 80% of patients with all three predictors vs 40% of those with none meeting the primary outcome. Of 172 patients initially prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy, 66 (38%) had it deprescribed following CMR, yielding a number needed to test of 3. IN PRACTICE: 'Integration of CMR into diagnostic imaging pathways may be reasonable to augment clinical diagnosis and management; however, further cost-effectiveness analyses are now warranted,' the study authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Adil Rajwani, PhD, of the Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia. It was published online on June 13, 2025, in Heart. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by the impracticality of conducting a bias-free randomized trial of CMR vs no CMR. It was also limited by the assessment of CMR's impact only immediately after imaging, potentially missing later clinical insights. Medication protocols were not standardized, and the limited use of additional diagnostics such as optical coherence tomography may have influenced the findings. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by a grant from the Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation in Australia. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Uber Drivers Are Now More Concerned About Charging Than EV Cost
When it comes to convincing millions of drivers to get behind the wheel of electric vehicles, Uber Technologies Inc. has good news and bad news. First, the positive: Prices are coming down to levels at which EV cost is no longer the top issue preventing drivers in the US and UK from going electric. This is a first in the four years Uber has been surveying drivers.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stourbridge care home donates life-saving equipment to school
A STOURBRIDGE care home has donated a potentially life-saving piece of equipment to a primary school. Parkfield Grange care home gifted a bleed control kit to Netherbrook Primary School. The kit, which contains equipment to stop severe bleeding, will be used in emergency situations. Catherine Marshall, assistant head teacher at Netherbrook Primary School, said: "We were absolutely thrilled when a parent of two of our pupils, who works at Parkfield Grange Care Home, shared our fundraising plans with Emily Hocking, the home admissions advisor. "Emily kindly reached out and generously donated a bleed control kit. "We cannot thank Parkfield Grange enough for helping us access this vital emergency equipment that could one day save lives. "This donation not only enhances the safety of our pupils and staff but also means we're better prepared to support our wider community in the event of an emergency." Emily Hocking, home admissions advisor at Parkfield Grange, said: "We are part of a vibrant and caring community and when our colleague informed us of Netherbrook's plan to raise funds for a bleed control kit, we were delighted to donate one. "Having such a kit in a community setting can save lives before paramedics arrive." Parkfield Grange, which is located on the Hagley Road in Stourbridge, offers 68 large en-suite bedrooms and six one-bedroom care suites, all furnished. The care suites include an en-suite bedroom, lounge, and kitchenette and although developed with couples in mind, are ideal for those looking for more space and privacy than a traditional care bedroom.
