Machine Learning Spots Alzheimer’s Disease on Brain Scans
A machine learning system looks at MRI images to classify cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
The diagnosis dilemma
In 1906, German psychiatrist Aloïs Alzheimer described the first official case of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Today, this progressive brain disease is the main form of dementia.
Over 55 million people are suffering from dementia globally. 10 more million join them annually. Estimates suggest that around 140 million people will suffer from dementia by 2050. Given that AD accounts for roughly 60–70% of these cases, that’s a lot of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Also, we are — on average — getting older. And age happens to be the greatest risk factor for developing AD.
It’s a tide that’s coming for us and if we don’t do anything about it, healthcare systems across the world might drown.
Fortunately, AD biology is an area of active research. Several treatment avenues are being pursued, from preventing AD with gut microbes or probiotics, to immune therapy and small designer molecules. Perhaps we should also try to boost our brain cell’s clean-up mechanisms or incorporate tai chi in our exercise routine.
