Scientists are hoping that access to more than 1.6 million brain scans collected from patients across Scotland could help predict a person’s risk of dementia. A team of 20 researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Dundee have been given unprecedented permission to view a huge number of anonymous scans gathered from across the Scottish population over a decade.
It is the first time scientists in the UK have had access to such large volumes of valuable data. They will use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the scans to see if there are patterns or signs of dementia.
The researchers hope that by studying such a large number of brain scans they can develop tools that will help radiologists with early detection. The scientists have been given permission by NHS Scotland to use 1.6 million CT and MRI images collected during routine clinical care between 2008 and 2018.
Previous research has been limited by access to much smaller numbers of scans. The decision to grant permission to study so many scans was taken by NHS Scotland’s Public Benefit and Privacy Panel for Health and Social Care, whose role is to make sure applicants have thought through the public benefit and privacy implications. All of the scans will be anonymised so researchers know nothing about the patients whose scans they are studying.
Source: BBC
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