(NewsNation) — University of Southern California researchers believe a new artificial intelligence model can analyze how fast an individual’s brain is aging.
The AI tool can track this after looking at MRI scans and could lead to improvements in how brain conditions are treated or preventative measures are prescribed.
“This is a novel measurement that could change the way we track brain health both in the research lab and in the clinic,” Andrei Irimia associate professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology said in a news release.
“Knowing how fast one’s brain is aging can be powerful.”
A study detailing the model was published on Feb. 24 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
An individual’s “brain age” can be markedly different from the chronological age depending on a variety of health and environmental factors.
The model, according to the release, has been trained and ” trained and validated on more than 3,000 MRI scans of cognitively normal adults.”
Its point of difference, according to associate professor of electrical and computer engineering Paul Bogdan, is that it “more accurately pinpoints neuroanatomic changes tied to accelerated or decelerated aging.”
“Rates of brain aging are correlated significantly with changes in cognitive function,” Irimia added.
“So, if you have a high rate of brain aging, you’re more likely to have a high rate of degradation in cognitive function, including memory, executive speed, executive function, and processing speed.
“It’s not only an anatomic measure; the changes we see in the anatomy are associated with changes we see in the cognition of these individuals.”
While it cannot currently predict the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease, that is the hope in time.
“I think this kind of measure will be very helpful to produce variables that are prognostic and can help to forecast Alzheimer’s risk,” Irima said.
“That would be really powerful, especially as we start developing potential drugs for prevention.”
