What if you could get a head-to-ankle scan that uses no radiation or contrast injections to check for over 500 medical conditions while listening to music tailored to reduce anxiety?
The Dallas Express spoke to Wayne Picker, Prenuvo’s head of operations, to discuss Prenuvo’s whole-body MRI scans. These scans are offered in approximately one hour and are purportedly unmatched in terms of image quality, false positive rate, AI research, and equipment.
Prenuvo is an MRI medical technology company that uses three-dimensional pixels, known as voxels, to capture high-quality diagnostic images, capturing 1B+ data points (voxels). Prenuvo’s technology enables the acquisition of a much larger number of voxels with a superior signal-to-noise ratio, explained Picker.
“This gives you the ability to find things early and to track things over time, which is really useful and offers amazing insight into our bodies,” said Picker.
The screening approach that Prenuvo employs offers a range of filters to capture images of the same organ from different angles. This results in a multidimensional image that can detect lesions in organs currently without established screening protocols, explained Picker. This is a significant breakthrough, given that a staggering 86% of cancers occur in organs that currently lack standard screening tests, according to the company’s website.
“The body is not just the sum of its parts,” added Picker. “There is a lot of interplay between the different organs and systems, so imaging everything all at once gives us a lot more benefit than imaging one organ at a time.”
The Prenuvo scan is a state-of-the-art diagnostic tool that can detect a wide range of health conditions at an early stage. This comprehensive scan can identify cancers at stage 1, autoimmune disorders like MS, metabolic disorders, brain aneurysms, non-cancerous conditions such as cysts and abscesses, and spinal degeneration.
“We have many physicians who are referring patients. We find this really empowers the physicians, giving them greater insight into their patients and enabling them to provide a lot more information and strategize health plans for their patients,” said Picker. “We also have a lot of people who reach out to us to have the scan done because they are being proactive and take some control into their own hands.”
On average, Prenuvo’s screening practice has identified potentially life-saving diagnoses in 1 out of 20 patients. This is especially relevant for detecting radiologically suspected pre-cancerous or cancerous findings, explained Picker.
“Other things the scan can show are things like brain aneurysms,” said Picker. “Generally, people have no idea that they have a brain aneurysm until the wall of that aneurysm ruptures, and that is when the patient will collapse. Quite often, they never get back up.”
Picker noted the importance of early detection, as such things can be treated once caught, resulting in “better health outcomes.”
A licensed and trained radiologist specializing in whole-body screening interprets and reports the scans. After the scan, the radiologist prepares a comprehensive report that is typically available within 10-15 business days. The report includes two formats, one for the client’s physician and one for the client, and provides detailed information about the scan results, explained Picker. When the report is ready, the client can access and download their results from their phone or computer. A complimentary consultation call with a nurse practitioner is also available to review the report with the client.
With the Prenuvo scan, clients can get a clear picture of their health and take proactive steps to maintain their well-being. However, some clients become anxious when getting an MRI, even though Prenuvo only uses open-bore MRI machines, explained Picker.
It is important that “everything from start to finish has a calming effect, as medical imaging can cause anxiety, especially with MRIs, as claustrophobia can be an issue,” said Picker.
In fact, 55.9% of individuals report intermediate anxiety during their MRI screening, and 37% showed moderate to high levels of anxiety when they underwent one, according to a 2023 peer-reviewed study published by Cureus.
Prenuvo is dedicated to easing clients’ anxiety by offering in-scan entertainment, where the client can listen to music or even watch a television program. At the beginning of 2024, Prenuvo rolled out a nationwide “music medicine” program, partnering with HealthTunes to provide evidence-based music tailored to reduce anxiety.
Specifically addressing HealthTunes, Picker said, “When the patient goes into the MRI, we have another tool in our toolkit for people who have anxiety. We can make it a more comfortable and engaging experience for them.”
The Dallas Express spoke with the founder of HealthTunes, Walter Werzowa.
Werzowa was born into a family of doctors and was constantly surrounded by people needing assistance. However, instead of following in his family’s footsteps and pursuing a medical career, Werzowa found solace in music. Eventually, he and his Austrian band wrote a song called “Bring Me Edelweiss,” which became a platinum hit, selling over five million copies nationwide.
Despite his success in the music industry, Werzowa also felt a deep desire to help people in need, which led him to found HealthTunes, a platform that uses music to improve health outcomes. Werzowa is not only a successful entrepreneur but also a prominent Austrian composer and producer. He owns the LA-based music production studio Musikvergnuegen, which has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry.
“Music is the ultimate health and healing modality,” said Werzowa, calling music a “social glue.”
“HealthTunes is a streaming platform that delivers curated music medicine,” added Werzowa. “This is researched, evidence-based music that induces health benefits and well-being.”
How does HealthTunes work? The binaural beats and isochronic tones added to the music help influence brain wave patterns, explained Wezowa.
“We have a patent where we mix music with binaural beats. You can dial in stress, anxiety, relaxation, burnout, or nausea, to name a few, and the genre you prefer, such as jazz or whatever your liking,” he said.
In relation to Prenuvo’s MRI machines, HealthTunes “composes music that basically creates a different context with the MRI hammering; the hammering becomes a rhythm in the electronic dance music track,” said Werzowa, noting that he has composed many himself and also uses a production library. He said that artificial intelligence also helps distinguish hundreds of factors to see why some sounds affect certain responses in people.
“Music is a connective tissue,” added Werzowa. “We did this experiment by adding sensors to orchestra performers and realizing that their heart rates entrain, so they become almost one person, one organism on stage. Their breathing aligns. Then, we did the same thing with the audience. The audience and the orchestra would come together as one. There are not many moments where we have this oneness, and music has this magic to do so.”
“We can help underprivileged people in their health quest through things like maternity, addiction, stress, and anxiety. We can help people feel better, achieve homeostasis, and feel stronger. And we can help corporations use music for corporate wellness and to build teamwork,” said Werzowa.
HealthTunes’ mission is “to improve your mental and physical health through the healing power of music and tones,” the company’s website states.
Prenuvo currently has nine locations, with 12 more coming soon. The North Texas location is at 6121 N. State Highway 161, Suite 205, in Irving. Look here to inquire about booking a scan.