AI-Enabled Brain Health Care

Authors: Afzal M. Tarar, Chairman & Managing Partner of Quartus Capital Partners LLC and Gary Gregory, Chairman & CEO of NeuroSync, Inc.?

• Brain health is the preservation of optimal brain integrity and mental and cognitive function and the absence of overt neurological disorders.
• Neurological conditions are categorized as “the leading cause of poor health and disability worldwide,” according to a 2021 study in The Lancet Neurology.?
• An estimated 3.4 billion people, ~43% of the global population, suffer from neurological conditions, presenting a significant public health challenge.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing brain and neurological health care

Global Neurological Health Landscape

Top 10 conditions contributing to neurological health loss are:

1. Stroke
2. Neonatal Encephalopathy
3. Migraine
4. Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
5. Diabetic Neuropathy
6. Meningitis
7. Epilepsy
8. Neurological Complications of Premature Birth
9. Autism Spectrum Disorder
10. Nervous System Cancers

“Acute and chronic diseases affecting the nervous system are diverse . These distinctions highlight the complexity faced by healthcare systems and the need to balance treatment for acute and long-term diseases,” the study states. It adds that resources for neurological care must span prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, long-term care, and palliative care.

Key Statistics Highlight the Disparity Across the World

• Low- and middle-income countries account for over 80% of deaths and poor health outcomes from neurological conditions.
• In 2021, high-income regions like Asia-Pacific and Australia recorded disability and death rates from 3,000 to 65 per 100,000 inhabitants
• Sub-Saharan West and Central Africa reported rates exceeding 7,000 and 198, respectively.

Latin America and the Caribbean face comparable challenges, underscoring the urgent need for scalable and accessible healthcare solutions. For example, epilepsy-related mortality stands at 1.04 per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than the rates in the U.S. and Canada (0.50 per 100,000), according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Of the approximately 50 million people worldwide with epilepsy, 5 million reside in the Americas. However, in Latin America and the Caribbean, more than half lack access to medical care for epilepsy, and two-thirds of the countries lack dedicated treatment programs.

AI Offers Opportunity for Better Brain and Neurological Health Care

Advanced technologies, especially AI, offer opportunities for improved patient outcomes through early and precise interventions.?

AI is reshaping the management of neurological conditions by leveraging algorithmic precision to enhance both diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes.

Key technological applications include:

• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): Optimizing treatment for Parkinson's disease through data analysis.
• Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI):? Translating neural signals to assist ALS patients.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy: Simulating controlled scenarios for PTSD treatment.

For instance, computed tomography supported by AI has shown 95% accuracy in detecting hemorrhagic strokes, according to? Data Bridge Market Research. Additionally, AI-applied personalized treatments improve patient outcomes by 30%, while AI-assisted surgeries reduce complications by 60% and accelerate recovery by 25%.

AI in Brain Health: A Long Road Ahead

Although AI has made significant strides in oncology, radiology, and dermatology, it still has room to grow in mental health care and neurobiological research, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry.

“Given the high morbidity and mortality among individuals with psychiatric disorders and the increasing shortage of mental health providers, there is an urgent need for AI to help identify high-risk individuals and deliver interventions to prevent and treat mental illnesses,” the study notes.

However, challenges persist, such as ensuring high-quality diagnostic labels and addressing the limited understanding of the biological causes of psychiatric disorders. “AI models must rely on observations rather than deriving principles,” explains the study, titled Artificial Intelligence for Mental Health Care: Clinical Applications, Barriers, Facilitators, and Artificial Wisdom.

Opportunities Unveiled by AI

Despite these challenges, AI’s emergence in healthcare has created significant efficiencies in service delivery, medical facility management, and administrative tasks.

For instance, NeuroSync offers digital health solutions to assess brain health and manage therapies. Its platform provides customizable tools that help physicians, researchers, and specialists analyze data, detect issues, monitor medication responses, and initiate personalized training programs.?

Particularly noteworthy is the EYE-SYNC solution, a virtual reality platform that detects visual tracking deficiencies related to concussions, monitors progress, and identifies therapy needs for improving visual and vestibular functions.

PRO-SYNC is a non-invasive app designed to promote general well-being by tracking sleep quality and mental acuity, offering insights for optimizing energy and performance, though not intended for medical diagnosis.

“Competitors often focus solely on diagnostics (Dx) or therapeutics (Tx) for specific paradigms. NeuroSync integrates both Dx and Tx within our solution, addressing multiple neurological conditions,” explains Gary Gregory, CEO of AI-based health solutions provider NeuroSync.?

He adds that NeuroSync eliminates market entry barriers, enabling substantial growth opportunities: “Fast, reliable diagnostics and therapies are essential to addressing the growing burden of neurological conditions. NeuroSync provides quantifiable, objective answers.”

Future Outlook

A report from the Oliver Wyman Forum, predicts that generative AI could save doctors three hours per day by 2030, enabling the treatment of 500 million additional patients globally each year.

Moreover, up to 400 million patients are expected to receive mental health support via AI therapy services, democratizing access to care.

Among individuals who have never undergone in-person therapy, one-third are willing to try AI-assisted therapy in the future, according to a survey of 16,000 respondents across 16 countries.

Conclusion

By integrating diagnostics and treatments, AI can not only improve patient outcomes but also redefine the future of global healthcare, paving the way for accessible and equitable solutions worldwide.