AI Detects and Measures Small Vessel Disease in Brain CT Scans

Clinicial researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh have developed an artificial intelligence software for identifying and quantifying small vessel disease, a frequent cause of dementia and stroke in older people, from CT scans. The investigators have already tested the software at Imperial's Charing Cross Hospital, demonstrating that the technology rivals that of MRI scans coupled with specialized clinicians in spotting and measuring small vessel disease. Because CT scans are used, which are considerably faster to perform than MRI scans, and that the assessment may not need any human input, the technology can help speed up triage of patients presenting at emergency rooms with signs of stroke or dementia. The study used historical data of 1082 CT scans of stroke patients across 70 hospitals in the UK between 2000-2014, including cases from the Third International Stroke Trial. The software identified and measured a marker of SVD, and then gave a score indicating how severe the disease was ranging from mild to severe.