AI could help detect epilepsy-linked brain lesions that are often missed – study

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Artificial intelligence could help detect abnormalities in the brain linked to epilepsy that can sometimes be missed by radiologists, according to a study. “Using an AI-powered tool like Meld Graph can support them with their decisions, making the NHS more efficient, speeding time to treatment for patients and relieving them of unnecessary and costly tests and procedures.” For the study, published in the JAMA Neurology journal, researchers used MRI data from 1,185 patients, including 703 with FCD, from 23 epilepsy centres around the world. Dr Luca Palma, of Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Italy, who was a co-author of the research, said: “Meld Graph identified a subtle lesion missed by many radiologists in a 12-year-old boy who had daily seizures and had tried nine anti-seizure medications with no improvement to his condition. “This tool could identify patients with surgically operable epilepsy and help with surgical planning – reducing risks, saving money, improving outcomes.” Meld Graph is not yet clinically available, but the research team has released it as open-source software and is running workshops to train clinicians on how to use it.