The new era of artificial intelligence in neuroradiology: current research and promising tools

Abstract

Radiology has a number of characteristics that make it an especially suitable medical discipline for early artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. These include having a well-established digital workflow, standardized protocols for image storage, and numerous well-defined interpretive activities. The more than 200 commercial radiologic AI-based products recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assist radiologists in a number of narrow image-analysis tasks such as image enhancement, workflow triage, and quantification, corroborate this observation. However, in order to leverage AI to boost efficacy and efficiency, and to overcome substantial obstacles to widespread successful clinical use of these products, radiologists should become familiarized with the emerging applications in their particular areas of expertise. In light of this, in this article we survey the existing literature on the application of AI-based techniques in neuroradiology, focusing on conditions such as vascular diseases, epilepsy, and demyelinating and neurodegenerative conditions. We also introduce some of the algorithms behind the applications, briefly discuss a few of the challenges of generalization in the use of AI models in neuroradiology, and skate over the most relevant commercially available solutions adopted in clinical practice. If well designed, AI algorithms have the potential to radically improve radiology, strengthening image analysis, enhancing the value of quantitative imaging techniques, and mitigating diagnostic errors.

Update on the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases

“…6 Finally, in the area of neuroradiology, Carvalho Macruz and colleagues present the article entitled "The new era of artificial intelligence in neuroradiology: current research and promising tools." 7 This interesting review explores the use of artificial intelligence in this area of neurology, which is most conducive to it, including a discussion of digital workflow, standardized protocols for image storage, and several well-defined interpretative activities. 7 We believe that the articles published in this supplementary issue of ANP will make a significant contribution to disseminating this new knowledge arising from the dizzying evolution that has taken place in the field of neuroscience in recent years.…”