Artificial intelligence tool predicts which patients with dystonia respond to Botox treatment with 96 percent accuracy -- ScienceDaily

In a new study published November 28 in Annals of Neurology, an artificial intelligence platform called DystoniaBoTXNet used brain MRIs to automatically identify which patients would respond to botulinum toxin treatment with 96.3 percent accuracy. Such a platform can inform clinicians' treatment decisions, according to senior study author Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD, Dr med, director of Laryngology Research at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, and professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Harvard Medical School. "Typically, a patient with dystonia would undergo a series of dose- and location-finding injections to determine whether botulinum toxin relieves their symptoms. Injections are painful and costly," said Dr. Simonyan. "Yet, some may find no benefits from this treatment despite multiple injection attempts, while some might benefit from injections but give up after only one dose or forgo the treatment altogether. With this artificial intelligence algorithm, we can empower clinicians and patients in their therapeutic decision-making by providing them with an objective tool to replace the trial-and-error approach to botulinum toxin efficacy."