Time to hit the snooze button: AI may improve treatment of sleep disorders

WASHINGTON: Artificial intelligence (AI) may help improve the efficiency and precision in sleep medicine, resulting in more patient-centred care and better outcomes, according to researchers. The data collected during polysomnography - the most comprehensive type of sleep study - is well-positioned for enhanced analysis through AI and machine-assisted learning, according to a statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "When we typically think of AI in sleep medicine, the obvious use case is for the scoring of sleep and associated events," said lead author and committee Chair Cathy Goldstein. "This would streamline the processes of sleep laboratories and free up sleep technologist time for direct patient care," said Goldstein, an associate professor at the University of Michigan in the US. Because of the vast amounts of data collected by sleep centres, AI and machine learning could advance sleep care, resulting in more accurate diagnoses, according to the statement published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.