Hong Kong Develops AI Model to Predict Alzheimer’s Risk With Over 70 Percent Accuracy

Prof. Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, President of HKUST (front row, centre), Prof. Chen Lei, Director of HKUST Big Data Institute (front row, second left), Prof. Amy Fu Kit-yu, Research Professor of Division of Life Sciences, HKUST (front row, first right), and Chief Scientist of Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Dr. Fanny Ip Chui-fan (front row, first left), and Prof. Fred Zhou Xiaopu (front row, second right), lead author of the research paper, took a group photo with other research team members. Courtesy HKUST

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can use genetic information to predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.

At present, the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is mainly based on doctor’s judgment, cognitive ability scale test and brain scan, but it is usually carried out when the patient has shown apparent symptoms, thus missing the best time for intervention. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of mutations in the APOE-ε4 gene as a method for assessing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.