The Hydrocephalus Association (HA) is excited to announce an upcoming session on the innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing hydrocephalus. This event is part of the HA CONNECT National Conference on Hydrocephalus, taking place in Tampa, FL, from July 25-27 at the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
The conference is held in collaboration with presenting sponsors Tampa General Hospital and USF Health. This crucial discussion will be held on Friday, July 26, at 11 AM.
Dr. Harrison Bai, Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Dr. Andrew Kobets, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, will delve into how AI can significantly improve the diagnosis of hydrocephalus in both adults and children. Their expertise will highlight how AI can enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, particularly in distinguishing normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) from conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
"Using AI holds great promise in diagnosing hydrocephalus, potentially making the process more efficient and accurate. NPH can be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease because its symptom and image findings can overlap with these and other conditions," said Dr. Bai. "AI has the potential to help us distinguish the nuances between these conditions, leading to earlier and more accurate diagnoses."
Dr. Kobets will provide an in-depth look at how AI analysis, utilizing the segmentation of imaging scans, works. He will also discuss the promising applications of AI in pediatric neurosurgery, including the use of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to understand brain elastance or stiffness, which can help determine who would benefit the most from shunt placement.
"There are many promising applications to AI in the field of hydrocephalus and pediatric neurosurgery. Understanding brain elastance, or stiffness, using MRE is an application of AI that can help us understand who would benefit the most from shunt treatment in a way that has never been done before," said Dr. Kobets. "Integrating AI and machine learning is the natural step forward in hydrocephalus treatment."
AI and machine learning are burgeoning fields with immense potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of hydrocephalus. The insights shared by Dr. Bai and Dr. Kobets at this conference will underscore the critical role AI can play in improving patient outcomes and shaping the future of neurology.