AI may choose best depression therapy

A US research team has developed a computer that can accurately predict whether an antidepressant will work, based on patients' brain activity. The multi-site trial initiated by UT Southwestern in 2011 to better understand mood disorders -- involving Stanford, Harvard and other institutions -- demonstrates that artificial intelligence (AI) may soon help doctors objectively diagnose and prescribe depression treatments. The researchers predict that tools such as AI, brain imaging and blood tests will revolutionise the field of psychiatry in the coming years. "These studies have been a bigger success than anyone on our team could have imagined," UT Southwestern psychiatrist Dr Madhukar Trivedi said. "We provided abundant data to show we can move past the guessing game of choosing depression treatments and alter the mindset of how the disease should be diagnosed and treated."