To solve the conundrum of how to get timely medical care to people with memory loss or other impaired cognitive functioning, a new study suggests that artificial intelligence may be as accurate as clinicians in taking the first step: diagnosis. Findings from the study, which was conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, were published online Monday in the journal Nature Communications. "We're trying to leverage AI to create frameworks to mimic neurology experts," for dementia diagnosis, Vijaya B. Kolachalama, the study's principal investigator and assistant professor of medicine and computer science at Boston University, told UPI. He said his lab aims to use computer models to assist clinical practice. Kolachalama stressed that the aim of his team's work is to help reduce the workload of the busy neurology practice, not replace the expert clinician.
Tsukuba, Japan--Cognitive impairments, like those that eventually lead to Alzheimer's disease, have large social and economic impacts and often decrease people's quality of life. They're also relatively underdiagnosed, partly because their diagnosis relies on clinical tests, which aren't always easy to access. In a study published last month in JMIR Formative Research, researchers from the University of Tsukuba, University of California San Diego, and IBM Research have revealed that they could estimate global cognition in older adults from both Japan and the USA by automatically analyzing key drawing features while a drawing task was performed using a digital pen and tablet. Only about 25% of all dementia cases receive a diagnosis worldwide, and this percentage is even lower in developing countries. To add to this problem, access to cognitive screening was difficult during much of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Combinostics, a neurology technology company looking at everything from early detection and diagnosis to the ongoing management of neurological disorders, has announced the Dementia Differential Analysis report, which aims to assist clinicians in the detection and differential diagnosis of dementias. The report will be available in an upcoming software release. Existing technologies compare against cognitively normal reference data only – the artificial intelligence-enabled application quantifies and evaluates patient MRI data against the distributions of key dementia-specific imaging biomarkers and reference data from approximately 2,000 patients with a confirmed neurodegenerative disease, including frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, the company explained. "The Dementia Differential Analysis report will help change the paradigm of diagnosing dementias," contended Richard Hausmann, CEO of Combinostics. Using the company's AI technology, it enables differential diagnostic support, furthering the company's commitment to provide clinicians with tools for reliable, evidence-based diagnostic decisions, he added.
Eating a small bowl of cranberries every day could help ward off dementia, research suggested today. Scientists tested giving healthy older adults the equivalent of 100g of the fruit each day. Volunteers who ate a powdered version of the fruit -- which has a notoriously bitter taste -- were found to have a better memory recall after 12 weeks. And MRI scans showed those eating cranberries had better blood flow to important parts of the brain. People given cranberries also had 9 per cent lower bad cholesterol levels, according to the University of East Anglia study.
Left: The display that carers will see in the Milbotix app. Inventor Dr Zeke Steer quit his job and took a PhD at Bristol Robotics Laboratory so he could find a way to help people like his great-grandmother, who became anxious and aggressive because of her dementia. Milbotix's smart socks track heart rate, sweat levels and motion to give insights on the wearer's wellbeing – most importantly how anxious the person is feeling. They look and feel like normal socks, do not need charging, are machine washable and provide a steady stream of data to carers, who can easily see their patient's metrics on an app. Current alternatives to Milbotix's product are worn on wrist straps, which can stigmatise or even cause more stress.
In the 2012 film "Robot and Frank", the protagonist, a retired cat burglar named Frank, is suffering the early symptoms of dementia. Concerned and guilty, his son buys him a "home robot" that can talk, do household chores like cooking and cleaning, and reminds Frank to take his medicine. The film follows Frank, who is initially appalled by the idea of living with a robot, as he gradually begins to see the robot as both functionally useful and socially companionable. The film ends with a clear bond between man and machine, such that Frank is protective of the robot when the pair of them run into trouble. This is, of course, a fictional story, but it challenges us to explore different kinds of human-to-robot bonds.
Research: We have always been involved with academia since our origins, and we are always innovating in the state-of-the-art of applied artificial intelligence. The company has focused on researching and transferring knowledge to develop the best technology for our own internal use and our partners and clients. Some of our current projects are: an AI-tool to prevent the risk of dementia (health sector), material selection optimisation tool for buildings (construction sector), and AI-based generative design for both aircraft (aeronautics) or medical devices (healthcare) design.
Background: The dementia epidemic is progressing fast. As the world's older population keeps skyrocketing, the traditional incompetent, time-consuming, and laborious interventions are becoming increasingly insufficient to address dementia patients' health care needs. This is particularly true amid COVID-19. Instead, efficient, cost-effective, and technology-based strategies, such as sixth-generation communication solutions (6G) and artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered health solutions, might be the key to successfully managing the dementia epidemic until a cure becomes available. However, while 6G and AI technologies hold great promise, no research has examined how 6G and AI applications can effectively and efficiently address dementia patients' health care needs and improve their quality of life.
People who grew up in rural areas have better sense of direction than those raised in cities, particularly cities with grid-pattern streets, a new study says. Researchers say it may be because the countryside has more disorderly road layouts, which effectively primes the brain for remembering and navigating environments. The scientists from France and London tested nearly 400,000 people from 38 countries on their spatial navigation, using a video game called Sea Hero Quest. The mobile game, designed to help research into dementia, involves directing a virtual boat around certain routes that players have had to memorise. The authors found that individuals who grew up in more structured, grid-like cities, such as Chicago, performed better on game levels with a similar grid-like layout.