A new smartphone app called FAST.AI can help people and others know in real time if they have a stroke. Using the device’s camera, the application, thanks to its special artificial intelligence (machine learning) algorithms, recognizes the common symptoms of a stroke as it occurs.

The app captures the face and body, using sensors and algorithms to detect signs such as side-swinging faces, numb hands, or slurred speech. The first tests show that the application has a diagnostic accuracy close to that of a neurologist. Early diagnosis of a stroke can speed up treatment, and this precious time is likely to minimize the long-term effects of an episode, increasing the chances of a full recovery.

The researchers, led by Bulgarian-born UCLA neuroscience professor Radoslav Raichev, will make a statement at the International Conference of the American Heart Association in Dallas, Texas (8-10/2). The application was tested on 270 patients with an average age of 71 who were diagnosed with a stroke in four Bulgarian hospitals.

Bulgarian neurologists examined the patients and tested the application at the same time, after which they compared the results. FAST.AI found facial asymmetry (a classic symptom of stroke) in almost 100% of patients and hand weakness in more than two-thirds of cases. It also satisfactorily identified speech confusion due to stroke.

Ischemic strokes account for about 85% of all strokes (the rest are hemorrhagic). Antithrombotic drugs should be administered within a few hours of the onset of symptoms. The faster this happens, the lower the rate of ischemic stroke. The American Stroke Association estimates that an average of 1.9 million brain cells die every minute without treatment for a stroke. Patients who receive medication within the first 90 minutes after a stroke are almost three times more likely to recover without complications.

“Many stroke patients do not get to the hospital in time to receive antithrombotic therapy, and this is one of the reasons why it is vital to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and call an ambulance immediately,” said Dr. Raichev.

The fully automated application, developed by Neuronics Medical (co-founded by Raichev) in collaboration with the Bulgarian Society of Neurology and in particular its president Ivan Milanov, is still under development and refinement, so it is not available to the public.

Source: RES-IPE