Artificial Intelligence: Trojan Researchers Open Path to Early Detection of Parkinson’s Disease

At the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), pathologies associated with old age and, more generally, “aging well” are the focus of an entire area of ​​research. That’s the case at the Living Lab, a kind of model apartment where apps are developed together with older people. It was in this context that Racha Subra and Ali Chkeir, lecturer-researchers in the field of biomedicine, met. Both quickly became interested in Parkinson’s disease, a chronic and progressive disease associated with aging that is on the rise due to the increasing number of older people.

“The disease currently affects 200,000 French people and 25,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, a figure that will double by 2030,” says Racha Subra. So for them, the challenge is to detect the progression of the disease as it progresses over time. “In stage 1, there are some signs of tremors… Then we move to stage 5 with severe symptoms that make the person completely dependent,” explains Ali Chkeir. “Neurologists have the ability to determine what stage this person is at. Our goal is to predict its onset by finding a biomarker that we cannot see with the naked eye, including when we work as doctors. »

Artificial intelligence should indeed be able to detect signs in the brain that would predict whether a person is at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life, and perhaps find a way to avoid developing a disease we don’t yet know about. not a reason to this day. “There are genetic factors that we cannot change, and drug treatment can relieve symptoms. But there are also environmental factors. If a person is exposed to pesticides or heavy metals, then the doctor may suggest changing lifestyle, stopping work at a particular plant, because there is a risk of developing the disease in 10 years,” emphasizes Ali Chkeir.

So healthcare professionals could change the future of a number of people without prescribing anything, thanks to an inexpensive device currently in development. To explain the method used, Ali takes a marker and approaches the board. Thoughts that seem complex at first glance take shape and revolve around a specific area of ​​the brain: the striatum, the area of ​​motor control.

“Since the first stage of the disease, approximately 50% of the neurons have already disappeared,” he recalls. The idea is to identify a biomarker that can accurately measure the progression of Parkinson’s disease across five stages. Then, through sophisticated calculations and artificial intelligence modeling, discover the biomarker at stage 0 and be able to identify people at risk very early, even before those neurons disappear. “If we can detect, starting at age 40, points that have not yet been identified using MRI images or questionnaires, we can raise an alarm and involve a medical professional. »

A prototype screening device already exists. Eli and Racha won’t go into detail for intellectual property reasons. “This has not yet been confirmed. Our work in the AMPIATI (Artificial Intelligence and Imaging Prediction of Parkinson’s disease) project is to find stage 0 and then apply it to our device, which will be available at low cost to all healthcare professionals,” explains Ali. “If there is an alarm point with this device, the information can be confirmed with MRI to confirm or not the potential development of the disease. “. Enough to avoid the reproduction of very expensive images used if the situation is proven.

All that remains is to develop a reliable model to move on to the next step. Like ChatGPT, which is driven by social media data, the technology of the future learns from a medical database classified according to disease progression. Then it will be necessary to approve the experimental protocol with the participation of neurologists and volunteer patients. It’s still a challenging path that could be completed within two years… before more doors open, according to the researchers. “Today there is no medicine that can cure the disease, we can only slow down its progression,” recalls Racha Subra. “At stage zero, doctors may, together with us, be able to find solutions to prevent the development of the disease. Eliminate even the cause before dealing with the consequences,” continues Ali Chkeir. Wide open routes for tomorrow.