AI-Powered Brain MRI Evaluation Software Enables Early Detection of Alzheimer's and Dementia

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 21 Sep 2023

Image: The AIRAscore brain volumetry software has received FDA 510(k) clearance (Photo courtesy of AIRAmed)

Traditionally, the identification of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia has depended mainly on MRI scans. However, studies have noted that early-stage brain volume loss, which is a key feature of these conditions, can go undetected through standard human observation. Now, a medical image management and processing system offers critical brain volumetry data, aiding physicians in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and other dementias.

AIRAmed (Tuebingen, Germany) has introduced AIRAscore, a tool that employs deep learning and artificial intelligence to quantitatively measure brain volume. Using standard MRI scans, the system can provide objective data in just about five minutes. AIRAscore gives healthcare providers a clear report and visual guide featuring exact volume measurements of various brain areas, all adapted to each individual's anatomical specifics. The tool compares these volumes to a comprehensive reference population, adjusted for factors like head size, age, and gender, and presents the data in a format as easy to interpret as a regular blood test report. Detailed insights into various lobes and limbic structures assist in identifying brain volumes that are irregular for a person's age, revealing different patterns based on the specific neurodegenerative condition involved.

The technology offers critical data that helps physicians in accurately identifying various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia, as well as other conditions like atypical Parkinson's syndromes that exhibit known patterns of volume loss. AIRAscore also features auto-segmentation of grey matter, white matter, CSF, and T1 hypointensities, and offers in-depth measurements of all brain regions to provide additional quantitative evidence for physicians, including radiologists and neurologists, who are diagnosing suspected cases of dementia. The software is cost-effective and can be set up by the IT departments of hospitals or radiology facilities in less than an hour. Already in commercial use in Europe for four years, AIRAscore has now obtained 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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