An eight minute scan could replace painful spinal taps in diagnosing multiple sclerosis, a study has found.

The neurological condition, which affects more than 150,000 people in the UK, occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating of nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord.

Diagnosis can take years, as symptoms tend to develop slowly, and more than half of patients undergo a lumbar puncture—where a needle is inserted between the bones in the lower spine.

The procedure—which checks for cell changes in the spinal fluid—can be incredibly painful and cause side effects including severe headaches and nerve damage. And while the fluid taken can show signs of the disease, it isn't always accurate.

Now, scientists at the University of Nottingham say multiple sclerosis (MS) can successfully be diagnosed using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan alone.

 The finding, they say, could provide the health service with a scientific approach to diagnosing MS which is safer, cheaper and faster—crucial for patients, as early diagnosis of the disease leads to far better outcomes.

The research team carried out a study in Nottingham, Cardiff and London on patients with a suspected diagnosis of MS. 

Each patient was given an eight-minute MRI scan and a lumbar puncture and after 18 months, had their diagnosis matched to that of their original scan. 

The results showed that the scan was so accurate at diagnosing MS that it made the spinal tap unnecessary.

'Not only will our findings have huge benefits for patients, but it will also mean cost savings for the NHS,' said the study's lead author, clinical professor of neurology at Nottingham, Dr Nikos Evangelou.

'People who have lumbar punctures are required to spend at least most of a day in hospital, and for a health service already at capacity, this creates more issues.

'With the MRI scan, it takes eight minutes, is completely safe, and then you can go home.

'On average, we think we will reach the diagnosis three months earlier and the change could save the NHS up to five million pounds each year, which can be reinvested.'

'Our findings have huge benefits for patients'