ML Algorithm Can Predict Who Will Develop Dementia 

In brief:

 AI can accurately predict whether a person will develop dementia within two years and prevent wrongful diagnoses, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Exeter analyzed data spanning 10 years from more than 15,300 people in the US, training an ML AI system to spot hidden patterns to reveal who is most at risk. While none of the patients had been diagnosed with dementia when the study started in 2005, many were experiencing problems with their memory or other brain functions. The research showed how 1,568 patients, or 1/10, who attended a network of 30 National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center memory clinics in the US received a dementia diagnosis within two years of visiting the clinic. The study also highlighted around 8% of the human diagnoses appeared to have been incorrectly, as they were made reversed. The ML algorithm identified more than 80% of these cases.

Why this is important: 

The ML algorithm demonstrated how the technology could be used to improve the accuracy of diagnoses as well as predicting will develop the condition, predicting new dementia cases with up to 92% accuracy, significantly more precise than two existing alternative research methods. Accurate, early detection can help lead the way forward in effective treatment.