Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AI-Mind (Intelligent digital tools for screening of brain connectivity and dementia risk estimation in people affected by mild cognitive impairment.)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-08-31
Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. There are more than 100 million people worldwide living with mild cognitive impairment, and by 2030, this number is expected to nearly double, with 50% of those individuals expected to develop dementia. Current treatment options primarily focus on managing established symptoms, alongside time-consuming patient investigations that have limited effectiveness in determining dementia risk. The EU-funded AI-Mind project aims to address these challenges by screening brain connectivity and estimating dementia risk in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Through the development of two artificial intelligence-based digital tools, the project seeks to identify dysfunctional brain networks and assess individual dementia risk. This innovation will enable the extension of the "dementia-free" period by facilitating early intervention and accurate diagnosis.
Significant progress has been made during the project's second period, including the enrollment of a substantial number of participants in the clinical study, nearing the target of 1000 by November 2023. The project has also made strides in international data integration made possible through our use of the AI-Mind SSD platform hosted by the University of Oslo in Norway. Ethical considerations in AI-supported clinical diagnostics have been thoroughly examined, with plans underway to implement the tools in future clinical settings through industrial dialogues and educational initiatives.
Notably, AI-Mind has received an invitation to exhibit at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam for the entirety of 2024, exceeding the project's initial expectations. Additionally, the project has established itself within the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) EBRAINS and is actively pursuing new EU and national research applications in collaboration with EBRAINS partners. Several publications have been submitted during this reporting period, including a scientific paper describing the background, methods, and clinical study protocol of the AI-Mind project. The project has made significant progress in various areas, including data management, algorithm and AI concept development, infrastructure enhancement, clinical validation, and dissemination activities. Future reports will focus on innovation, intellectual property rights, public relations, and the exploitation of project results in collaboration with new industrial partners, ultimately aiming to achieve a groundbreaking clinical breakthrough using the diagnostic tool for predicting future dementia risk in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.
Notably, AI-Mind has received an invitation to exhibit at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam for the entirety of 2024, exceeding the project's initial expectations. Additionally, the project has established itself within the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) EBRAINS and is actively pursuing new EU and national research applications in collaboration with EBRAINS partners. Several publications have been submitted during this reporting period, including a scientific paper describing the background, methods, and clinical study protocol of the AI-Mind project. The project has made significant progress in various areas, including data management, algorithm and AI concept development, infrastructure enhancement, clinical validation, and dissemination activities. Future reports will focus on innovation, intellectual property rights, public relations, and the exploitation of project results in collaboration with new industrial partners, ultimately aiming to achieve a groundbreaking clinical breakthrough using the diagnostic tool for predicting future dementia risk in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.
The fulfilled integration of AI-Mind with the European eBRAINS Health project infrastructure, designed for the research of sensitive data, has created great opportunities for AI-Mind beyond its original 2.5-year plan. The synthesis of AI-Mind data has already commenced and will expedite various methodological challenges of the future that go beyond the AI-Mind deliverables. Notably, the collaborative effort with major actors in the pharmaceutical industry has surpassed initial expectations, an achievement attributable to AI-Mind's adherence to the highest data quality standards. These new possibilities are expected to bolster the forthcoming AI-Mind results and impact significantly.
Moreover, establishing a robust reference database within Europe is crucial to support future public-private AI health strategy, and will contribute to the integration of reliable AI tools into our healthcare systems. Through collaboration with EBRAINS, eBRAINS Health, and various industrial partners, AI-Mind is better positioned in its second report period to recognize and assess the considerable socioeconomic implications that the implementation of its tools may have for the European Union.
Moreover, establishing a robust reference database within Europe is crucial to support future public-private AI health strategy, and will contribute to the integration of reliable AI tools into our healthcare systems. Through collaboration with EBRAINS, eBRAINS Health, and various industrial partners, AI-Mind is better positioned in its second report period to recognize and assess the considerable socioeconomic implications that the implementation of its tools may have for the European Union.