AI brain scan could diagnose dementia in one day, study says

Brain scans powered by artificial intelligence may soon allow doctors to diagnose dementia in just one day, a study has suggested.

Trials run by the University of Cambridge show that the new algorithm is able to rapidly spot signs from a scan. Currently, a person only gets diagnosed with dementia after several scans and consultations with experts and the process can take several months.

Researchers said being able to intervene earlier could help with efforts to slow the disease’s progression and ensure patients have more information on their situation at an earlier stage.

A formal trial is now being set up with 500 patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and other memory clinics across the country.

The AI compares brain scans of people who think they may have dementia with brain images of people who have already been diagnosed.

An algorithm is then used to detect subtle patterns in the scans that are often missed, even by neurologists.

Zoe Kourtzi, professor of cognitive computational neuroscience at the Alan Turing Institute and professor of experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC: “If we intervene early, the treatments can kick in early and slow down the progression of the disease and, at the same time, avoid more damage.

“And it’s likely that symptoms occur much later in life or may never occur.”

More than 850,000 people in the U.K. are thought to have dementia.

Dr. Laura Phipps, from Alzheimer’s Research U.K., said this could help doctors have more confidence when looking at scans and diagnosing patients.