A study has found that artificial intelligence can diagnose autism spectrum disorder.
The study was published in the journal, ‘Scientific Reports’.
Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is still a daunting challenge because of the degree of complexity involved, requiring highly specialized professionals. Autism is a multifactorial neurodevelopment disorder with widely varying symptoms.
The study was based on brain imaging data for 500 people, about half of whom (242) had been diagnosed with ASD. Machine learning techniques were applied to the data. “We began developing our methodology by collecting functional magnetic resonance imaging [fMRI] and electroencephalogram [EEG] data,” said Francisco Rodrigues, last author of the article. He is a professor at the University of São Paulo’s Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (ICMC-USP) in São Carlos, Brazil, and his contribution to the research was supported by FAPESP.
“We compared maps of people with and without ASD and found that diagnosis was possible using this methodology,” Rodrigues said.(ANI)
