Novel AI tool may assist radiologists for fast detection of brain aneurysms: JAMA Speciality Medical Dialogues

A novel artificial intelligence or AI tool, developed by researchers at Stanford University may assist radiologists for fast detection of brain aneurysms revealed the findings of a study published JAMA Network Open. The paper highlighted areas of a brain scan that are likely to contain an aneurysm. A brain aneurysm is characterized as bulges in blood vessels in the brain that can leak or burst open, potentially leading to stroke, brain damage or death. This tool, which is built around an algorithm called HeadXNet, improved clinicians' ability to correctly identify aneurysms at a level equivalent to finding six more aneurysms in 100 scans that contain aneurysms. It also improved consensus among the interpreting clinicians. While the success of HeadXNet in these experiments is promising, the team of researchers – who have expertise in machine learning, radiology, and neurosurgery – cautions that further investigation is needed to evaluate the generalizability of the AI tool prior to real-time clinical deployment given differences in scanner hardware and imaging protocols across different hospital centers.