This A.I. May Detect Dementia After A Single Scan

The days of multiple tests, scans, and doctor’s visits to properly and accurately diagnose dementia may be over. Scientists from Cambridge, UK are in the midst of testing a new A.I. algorithm that they believe is capable of diagnosing the debilitating brain disease after just one brain scan. 

The kind of A.I. being used in this case is known as “machine learning,” which is a computer’s ability to learn and perform tasks without being explicitly programmed to do so. The project is known as QMIN-MC Trial, lead by Dr. Timothy Rittman with the learning algorithm developed by Professor Zoe Kourtzi. 

The algorithm designed by Kourtzi teaches itself to diagnose patients by viewing MRI brain scans to identify patterns. It then cross-references those findings with data of standard memory tests. 

“Traditionally, when we look at patient scans we are looking for patterns to be able to help us exclude things like strokes and brain tumors. The computer can do this much more comprehensively than any human, helping to give us not only a more accurate diagnosis but also a prognosis as well. 

With a better prognosis we can identify how quickly a patient is moving away from the normal pattern of the disease and amend their treatment and care accordingly,” Dr. Rittman, Alan Turning Institute, Cambridge University. 

A.I. in Medical Care

The advancements made in Artificial Intelligence in recent years have been incredible. The medical science field, in particular, has seen some pretty remarkable advancements in the last year alone. The United States estimates an investment of more than $2 Billion in A.I.-related healthcare research over the next five years. To get an idea of how much more that is, it’s four times the amount spent in 2019 with $463 Million. 

Currently, medical A.I. has shown a lot of promise in

1. dermatology 
2. radiology 
3. cancer screening 
4. psychiatry
5. primary care
6. telemedicine 
7. new drug development

The promise of accurate brain scans by artificial intelligence would mean earlier diagnoses and could significantly improve patient outcomes. As it stands, it can take several brain scans and tests to properly diagnose dementia. Sometimes the results of those tests can come too late. Like with any health concern, early detection and diagnosis is key. 

What is Dementia?

Dementia is not one disease but rather a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most recognizable and most common cause of dementia, affecting 60-80% of patients with dementia. Other forms of dementia include Lewy Body, Vascular, Frontotemporal, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and “mixed dementia,” which is dementia from more than one cause. 

Damage to the brain cells is what causes all varieties of dementia. This damage interferes with those cells’ ability to communicate with one another. Everything from memory to behavior is affected when these cells cannot communicate properly.

There are medications and therapies that may help manage these symptoms, some are even reversible, but there is no cure for any form of dementia. It’s an extremely difficult disease not just for the patient but for their friends, family, and caretakers. Dementia is slow to progress, unpredictable and symptoms and behavior vary from person to person. 

The way you differentiate between types of dementia is based on what part of the brain is affected and the behavior associated with that affectation. It can be very difficult to determine which dementia is which because the symptoms and changes to the brain may overlap. 

That’s why it can take several tests and scans in order to accurately diagnose a patient. The earlier you detect and diagnose, the far greater chance of mitigating or reducing the intensity of the symptoms. 

That kind of accuracy in one scan could be life-changing for the three million people dementia affects each year. With a proper, accurate, and speedy diagnosis, doctors can act quickly and prescribe proper treatments. If the treatment can’t reverse or mitigate the symptoms, it can make things more comfortable for a very sick patient. 

This A.I. Could Change Lives

Dementia and all its forms doesn’t just affect the patient but their friends, families, and caretakers as well. When your own mother cannot recognize you, the feeling is indescribable. It’s one thing to take care of a very sick person who is fully aware of their situation. It’s an entirely different thing to care for someone who has no idea who they are or where they are. 

The word that continuously comes to mind is “heartbreak.” 

This life-changing development in medical artificial intelligence is still in the testing phase. There needs to be more research and development before we can say, “yes, this absolutely works.” There is, however, a lot of promise and potential for this algorithm to change the way we treat dementia forever.