Researchers Successfully Used Artificial Intelligence To Detect Rare Forms Of Dementia, A Groundbreaking Discovery In The Fight For Earlier Diagnoses And Adapted Therapies
This month, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) and the University of Leipzig Medical Center made a remarkable breakthrough.
They were able to utilize new machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect rare forms of dementia from MRI images.
Through the study, which has since been published in Science Direct, the team found that AI can immediately recognize patterns that are distinctive of rare dementia forms among patient imaging data. This finding represents a massive win in the fight for earlier dementia diagnoses.
In addition to dementia, the researchers also included Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with memory impairment, plus various other diseases that are characterized by changes in personality, motor function, or language.
One of the study participants, referred to only as Mr. M, first noticed that some words were no longer coming to him at 40 years old. This impairment particularly affected words that he rarely used, such as “filler” or “flipper.”
Aside from this, though, Mr. M also realized that he could no longer remember the names of his colleagues and acquaintances.
Finally, his wife noticed that he was not listening to her properly and had trouble “switching off” from work.
Mr. M did seek out medical care, and while in the hospital, it was discovered that he had decreased brain volume in his temporal lobe.
His doctors also found that he was unable to correctly identify images placed in front of him, such as animals.
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And Mr. M was not confident regarding what physical characteristics were typical for specific animals, either.
For instance, does a giraffe have scales or fur? On top of this, Mr. M was suffering from memory impairment as well.
According to Matthias Schroeter, a researcher at MPI CBS and a consultant psychiatrist, the questions posed by Mr. M are typical in clinical practice.
Primarily, medical teams work to determine the correct diagnosis in such cases in order to ensure that therapy is adapted to each patient and their individual disease.
“However, in addition to Alzheimer’s dementia, which is the best-known neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by impairments in memory, there are very many other diseases that also require a different therapy,” Schroeter explained.
These rare diseases that can occur at an earlier age, which are sometimes referred to as “orphan diseases,” will require specific care from specialized medical centers.
So, in the study, Schroeter and Leonie Lampe, his colleague, utilized emerging machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect these diseases automatically.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to analyze the patients’ brain structures at the University of Leipzig Medical Center in Germany.
And using this method, the researchers were able to prove that rare forms of dementia can be detected and diagnosed early.
Aside from patients who had Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with memory impairment, the researchers also included numerous other diseases which can be characterized via a change in personality, motor skills, or language.
“Compared to previous studies, we were not only able to identify diseases very well when compared to healthy individuals, but in addition, we were able to identify the specific disease compared to other dementia diseases,” Schroeter revealed.
“This is a decisive step on the way to tailored therapy adapted to each individual affected person and their disease.”
As for Mr. M, he was eventually diagnosed with a language functions disease, which is a semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia. He was placed in intensive therapy, which allowed him to compensate for his struggles and continue working as a career salesman for eight years following his diagnosis.
And according to Schroeter, the story of patient Mr. M only underscores the success of this study.
“Even if the course of these diseases progresses, those affected in the early stages of the disease can continue to work and manage their daily lives with support. This is why early diagnosis and individual adaptation of therapy measures are crucial.”
To read the study’s complete findings, visit the link here.
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