AI Algorithm Processes MRI and Cognitive Scores to Predict Progression to Alzheimer's Dementia

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 17 Jan 2024

$Image: The AI algorithm predicts the likelihood of progression from aMCI to Alzheimer\'s dementia within five years (Photo courtesy of 123RF)$

Image: The AI algorithm predicts the likelihood of progression from aMCI to Alzheimer\'s dementia within five years (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Globally, over 100 million patients are struggling with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a condition that can either stabilize, improve, or progress to Alzheimer’s dementia. Accurate prognosis assessment is critical for developing effective care and treatment plans. Typically, physicians conduct cognitive function tests and order a brain MRI scan for these patients. Now, a revolutionary medical AI algorithm improves the assessment process by integrating brain MRI data with cognitive test scores to produce a score between 0 and 100. This score aids doctors in determining the likelihood of a patient’s progression from aMCI to Alzheimer’s dementia.

Darmiyan’s (San Francisco, CA, USA) BrainSee is the first FDA-approved medical software designed for evaluating the prognosis of aMCI patients. BrainSee represents a significant advancement in the field, combining state-of-the-art image processing and medical AI to set a new benchmark in predicting the transition from aMCI to Alzheimer's dementia. This innovation offers a fully non-invasive, accessible, and convenient screening tool, prioritizing it before other tests or treatments. BrainSee is a clinical application of Darmiyan's core proprietary technology, which is grounded in over 40 years of advanced brain science. It utilizes a highly scalable, fully-automated platform that merges standard clinical brain MRI and cognitive assessments – routine procedures for patients experiencing memory concerns – to generate an objective score predicting the likelihood of progression to Alzheimer's dementia within five years.

BrainSee's early screening and risk stratification capabilities allow for timely, personalized treatments for high-risk aMCI patients, aiming to delay the onset of dementia. It also offers reassurance to those at lower risk, potentially reducing the need for more invasive and expensive tests. This shift from prolonged anxiety to proactive management is crucial in the era of emerging Alzheimer's treatments, where precise prognoses can guide the selection of suitable treatment candidates. BrainSee is poised to have a significant economic impact on healthcare, potentially reducing the billions spent annually on Alzheimer’s care through more effective management and treatment. Its standout features include prognostic accuracy, patient convenience, immediate test results, and seamless integration into clinical workflows. The widespread availability of MRI further enhances BrainSee's clinical utility, marking a paradigm shift in aMCI workup from biomarker-based methods – often limited by invasiveness, non-specificity, cost, and inaccessibility – to non-invasive and actionable forecasts of future improvement or progression.

"Our vision is to redefine brain health screening and monitoring standards and impact the lives of patients and their family members in a meaningful way," stated Dr. Padideh Kamali-Zare, Founder and CEO of Darmiyan. “BrainSee is the first product of this vision, backed by our solid technological infrastructure that is capable of driving further transformations and scalable innovations in the brain health landscape.”