EEG and AI Combine for Earlier Dementia Detection

EEG and AI Combine for Earlier Dementia Detection
EEG and AI Combine for Earlier Dementia Detection. Credit | iStock

United States: With the prevalence of dementia cases, Mayo Clinic researchers have considered the potential of artificial intelligence as a key to having an earlier and faster diagnosis of the disease.

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A researchers team at the Mayo Clinic Neurology AI Program (NAIP) in Rochester, Minnesota, by pairing AI and EEG (electroencephalogram) tests, was able to identify specific types of dementia earlier than they would have through human analysis.

Based on the findings, EEGs could provide a more accessible, less expensive, and furthermore less invasive way to access brain health, as a release from the hospital press showed.

More about the study

According to Dr. David Jones, a practicing clinician specializing in behavioral neurology, who directs the artificial intelligence program at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the researcher performing the study was able to find “hidden information” present inside the patient’s brain with the help of computer algorithms, without using manual labor.

The AI tool used in the study was built in-house at Mayo Clinic and was made to train on data from more than 11,000 patients who got EEGs over a decade.

The model identified six specific patterns that appeared in patients with Alzheimer’s or Lewy body disease to analyze complex brain waves.

These complex wave patterns are not present in the brains of those with no cognitive trouble, explained Jones.

This correlation was cross-checked by measuring through other methods such as cognitive testing, blood biomarkers, and brain PET scans.

As Jones mentioned, the AI tool could lower the EEG reading time by fifty percent and raise the accuracy level.

Jones said, “This tells us that there is a lot of unused information in clinically acquired EEGs that we can extract automatically — and now we can begin to build better tools, algorithms and methods,” as Fox News reported.

A major step forward, as experts note

Harvey Castro, who is a Dallas-based board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on artificial intelligence in health care and was not involved in the study, referred to the research as “a significant leap forward.”

He added, “This technology can rapidly and precisely analyze brain wave patterns, identifying early signs of dementia often invisible to the human eye.”

As an ER doctor, Castro mentioned that he generally prefers EEFs as they require time to interpret the results and added, “However, AI technology allows for fast processing of large amounts of data, facilitating quicker, more informed decisions about a patient’s cognitive health.”

“As a result, I can see this becoming a new tool for me to use in the ER,” he added.

According to Casto, AI-driven EEG analysis could be a “game-changer” in rural and underserved areas.

Moreover, “It provides a cost-effective, non-invasive method to screen for cognitive issues early, where advanced diagnostic tools like MRIs or PET scans are limited,” he continued.