Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is one of the main causes of death and disability in Brazil and worldwide. Rapid diagnosis is essential to avoid serious consequences, as time is crucial to the success of treatment. In this scenario, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have gained ground as allies in the early recognition of the disease.
The technology is already used in Brazilian hospitals to help doctors identify signs of stroke in imaging tests, such as CT scans and MRIs. Algorithms trained with thousands of images can detect patterns that indicate the presence of a clot or bleed in the brain, helping to speed up clinical decision-making.
“With this learning, the system is able to automatically and quickly identify the subtle signs of stroke, which in an initial tomography only appear as different shades of gray, requiring a lot of training for a human diagnosis. The AI presents the result in colored maps that indicate exactly where the ischemic stroke is. Furthermore, the technology can differentiate brain tissue that has already died from that which is suffering, but can still be saved if treatment is applied in time”, explains Sheila Martins, president of Rede Brasil AVC.
AI does not replace medical eyes, but works as a support, increasing precision and reducing analysis time. In many cases, the software sends real-time alerts to healthcare teams when it identifies suspicious changes in exams, speeding up testing.
“The image reading is done automatically and very quickly, which shortens the time for decision making, especially in places where there are no experienced neurologists on duty. Furthermore, AI extends treatment time because it allows the doctor to visualize what has already been lost and what can still be saved in the patient’s brain. This makes the decision less dependent on the clock and more focused on the individual condition of each brain”, adds Martins.
AI also helps prevent strokes
Another front of study is the use of artificial intelligence to predict the risk of certain patients, crossing data from medical history, laboratory tests and lifestyle. This analysis can help identify who has to suffer the problem and guide preventive measures.
“There are applications, such as the ‘stroke riskometer’, that allow patients to calculate their risk of having a stroke in 5 and 10 years, identify their risk factors and monitor the reduction in this risk as they adopt healthier habits. These systems can also send alerts to remind them to take medication or exercise”, adds the president of Rede Brasil AVC.
Despite the advances, doctors reinforce that the technology still faces challenges. Issues such as cost, unequal access between hospitals and the need for continuous validation of algorithms prevent AI from being widely available. Furthermore, the definitive diagnosis and choice of treatment remain the responsibility of a specialist.
“Artificial intelligence only works as a support tool and does not replace the doctor. The final decision is always a medical one. This is because, in some situations, such as when many hours have passed since the stroke, the area of the brain that has already died may no longer appear in the AI calculation. Therefore, the doctor needs to compare the simple tomography with the result of the software to make the correct decision. The decision about treatment must also take into account the patient’s general clinical context to assess the risks and benefits”, says Martins.
