Innovative AI Tool Uncovers Alzheimer’s-Related Behaviors Years in Advance
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New Delhi, Nov 29 (NationPress) A group of researchers from the United States has created a groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool capable of detecting subtle indicators of Alzheimer’s disease that can surface many years prior to an official diagnosis.
These indicators often manifest as irregular behaviors indicative of the very initial stages of brain dysfunction.
The research team from Gladstone Institutes in California engineered mice to replicate essential characteristics of Alzheimer’s and employed their innovative video-based machine learning tool to identify early signs of this brain disorder.
The results, published in the journal Cell Reports, provide insight into a new method for recognizing neurological diseases earlier than previously achievable and monitoring their progression over time.
According to Gladstone investigator Jorge Palop, AI has the potential to transform the analysis of Alzheimer’s-related behaviors—signs that point to early brain function abnormalities.
The machine learning system known as VAME (Variational Animal Motion Embedding) analyzed video recordings of mice navigating an open environment. It detected subtle behavioral patterns—including disorganized behavior, unusual activity trends, and frequent transitions between different behaviors—as the mice aged. These behaviors, likely linked to deficits in memory and attention, were documented on video but may not be discernible through mere observation.
This tool could assist in unraveling the origins and progression of these debilitating brain disorders, Palop noted, adding that it could also be relevant for other neurological diseases.
The recent study also utilized VAME to investigate whether a possible therapeutic intervention for Alzheimer’s could halt disorganized behavior in mice.
The findings showed that genetically inhibiting a blood-clotting protein called fibrin from instigating toxic inflammation in the brain could prevent the onset of abnormal behaviors in Alzheimer’s-afflicted mice.
The research team stated that the intervention also addressed the spontaneous behavioral changes observed in Alzheimer’s mice.
