A screening platform based on artificial intelligence that enables the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is being developed with the participation of scientific, business and clinical organizations from 15 countries with the support of the European Union’s Horizon Europe program – the Hungarian member of the collaboration, Pharmacoidea Kft. from Szeged, informed MTI.
According to the statement, more than 7 million people in the European Union suffer from dementia, and this number could double by 2050. This will place a huge burden on health systems worldwide, both in terms of human and financial resources.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Although research into potential treatments appears promising, new drugs are expected to be most effective early in the course of the disease. The Predictom project is developing an artificial intelligence-based screening platform that can identify patients at risk of developing dementia even before symptoms appear. The platform can help in early detection of the disease and make the treatment more effective. The project aims to reduce the burden on healthcare systems by enabling diagnostics to be initiated at home.
The saliva, stool, blood and digital samples analyzed by the project are collected at home or in GP surgeries and forwarded to the Predictom project.
Specialists examine innovative procedures for identifying disease risk, including digital technologies and new MRI, EEG, and eye-tracking tests. The project involves more than 4,000 test subjects, whose samples are processed by artificial intelligence algorithms, with risk assessments, early diagnoses and prognoses. Dag Aarsland, professor of psychiatry at King’s College London and Stavanger University Hospital, was quoted in the announcement, who emphasized that recognizing the early signs of dementia is key to slowing down the progression of the disease.
“Unfortunately, the majority of those at risk are not recognized in time. The Predictom platform aims to change this by enabling early detection, timely intervention and preventive treatment”, said the project manager. The Predictom project is implemented by an international consortium of thirty participants, whose members are scientific, business and clinical partners from 15 European, Asian and American countries. Led by the Stavanger University Hospital in Norway, the project, which will last until autumn 2027, has a budget of 21 million euros (7.917 billion forints), which is provided by the European Union’s Horizon Europe framework program, UK Research and Innovation and contributions from industrial partners.
MTI
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