AI detects stroke, dementia from brain scans

Artificial intelligence has been used to detect the most common causes of dementia and stroke -- small vessel damage, according to a study. Scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh in Britain have created machine-learning software to identify and measure the severity of small vessel disease more accurately than some current methods. Their findings were published in the journal Radiology. The researchers said the tests at Charing Cross Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service Trust, could pave the way for more personalized medicine and quicker diagnosis in an emergency setting. "This is the first time that machine learning methods have been able to accurately measure a marker of small vessel disease in patients presenting with stroke or memory impairment who undergo CT scanning," lead author Dr. Paul Bentley, a clinical lecturer at Imperial College London, said.