ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) may revolutionize the early diagnosis of infantile spasms, a severe form of epilepsy in babies, according to research presented at the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting. The study demonstrates that AI analysis of home videos can distinguish seizure activity from normal infant movements with high accuracy, offering a promising tool to accelerate life-saving diagnoses.
Infantile spasms are subtle seizures that can be mistaken for normal infant reflexes, such as startle responses. However, their impact is profound, potentially causing developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and permanent epilepsy. Timely treatment, ideally within a week of symptom onset, is critical to improving outcomes, yet diagnosis is often delayed.
The research team, led by Dr Gadi Miron of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, trained an AI model to detect infantile spasms using video footage of seizures. The dataset included 1,106 seizures from 168 infants and normal movements from 216 infants. The AI demonstrated 85% accuracy in identifying seizures, correctly recognizing 83% of seizure movements and 95% of non-seizure movements.
“Our AI model shows high performance on videos recorded even with varying camera qualities, potentially enabling parents to capture critical information and seek timely medical care,” said Dr Miron.
The researchers have also developed a secure platform where parents can upload videos of suspicious movements for AI screening. The system flags concerning clips for review by specialists and provides recommendations for further diagnostic evaluation. A new study is underway to assess how this tool can support pediatricians and clinicians in making faster, more informed decisions.
By empowering both parents and healthcare providers, this AI-driven approach could significantly improve early detection and treatment of infantile spasms, potentially changing the trajectory of affected infants’ lives.
Reference
American Epilepsy Society. AI Analysis of Home Videos Could Help Identify Infantile Epileptic Spasms to Speed Up Diagnosis and Treatment. Available at: https://aesnet.org/about/aes-press-room/press-releases/ai-analysis-of-home-videos-could-help-identify-infantile-epileptic-spasms–to-speed-up-diagnosis-and-treatment. Last accessed: 11th December 2024.
Aleksandra Zurowska | AMJ
