New multiple sclerosis subtypes identified using artificial intelligence

Scientists at UCL have used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify three new multiple sclerosis (MS) subtypes. Researchers say the groundbreaking findings will help identify those people more likely to have disease progression and help target treatments more effectively. MS affects over 2.8 million people globally and 130,000 in the UK, and is classified into four* 'courses' (groups), which are defined as either relapsing or progressive. Patients are categorised by a mixture of clinical observations, assisted by MRI brain images, and patients' symptoms. For this study, published in Nature Communications, researchers wanted to find out if there were any - as yet unidentified - patterns in brain images, which would better guide treatment choice and identify patients who would best respond to a particular therapy.