A study published in Nature shows that autism spectrum disorder can be diagnosed even from the first 18 months of life of a pediatric patient, thanks to the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
American researchers published the study "Evaluation of a medical device based on artificial intelligence for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder", which tested the accuracy of an AI-based software (software as Medical Devices - SaMD), to support professionals of health in primary care establishments in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
This AI-based device combines behavioral characteristics of three different inputs into a machine learning algorithm, a caregiver questionnaire, the analysis of two short home videos, and a primary care questionnaire. “This study compared device outcomes with diagnostic agreement of two or more independent specialists in a cohort of children aged 18 to 72 months with developmental delay problems (425 study completers, 36% female, 29% ASD prevalence )”, explain the authors.
ASD is one of the most common developmental disorders, therefore it is necessary to obtain an early diagnosis to obtain better results in long-term neurological development. An early diagnosis of ASD improves the social and communication skills of patients.
In the United States, 271PT2T of children with ASD reach 8 years of age without being diagnosed, and diagnosis is more difficult to obtain in rural areas, low-income socioeconomic groups, non-whites, and women.
The study published in Nature, evaluates a support SaMD for the diagnosis of ASD in children aged 18 to 72 months. The SaMD consists of a caregiver-facing mobile app, a video analytics portal, a healthcare provider portal, the machine learning algorithm that drives the Device's outcomes, and various supporting services and infrastructure and software. It also includes privacy and security encryption and infrastructure for compliance with HIPAA and other best practices.
The interfaces are designed to work centered on the user, and with ease in navigation. The devices include two versions of questionnaires according to the age of 18 to 47 months and 48 to 71 months. Both versions are adapted to reflect developmentally relevant characteristics of the infant. The two age groups get 64 questions plus another set of additional questions depending on the age group.
"The content of the questionnaire comes from previously conducted feature classification experiments to identify behavioral, executive functioning, and language and communication features that are most predictive of an ASD diagnosis," the study explains.
The platform works on iOS and Android systems, on phones or tablets, as well as on Mac and Windows operating systems.
Learn more about this SaMD at the following link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-022-00598-6
