A new smartphone application leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) could become a vital tool for paramedics, enabling them to detect strokes within seconds. Developed by researchers, the app boasts an accuracy rate of 82% by analyzing facial symmetry and muscle movements to identify stroke symptoms.
Strokes often manifest through signs such as confusion, loss of muscle control, impaired speech, and reduced facial expressions. The app’s AI technology focuses on detecting changes in facial symmetry, a common indicator in stroke patients, where one side of the face behaves differently than the other.
Lead author Guilherme Camargo de Oliveira from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia explained, “Facial muscles typically become unilateral in stroke victims, causing asymmetry in their smile, which our AI tools can detect.”
The app’s 82% accuracy rate is comparable to that of paramedics, making it a reliable tool for early stroke detection. The study detailing the app’s development and trial results was published in the journal Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.
As reported by ETHealthworld.com, the research team analyzed video recordings of facial expressions from 14 stroke patients and 11 healthy individuals to develop the app. Early stroke detection is crucial as timely treatment can significantly reduce the risk of long-term disability and save lives.
While the app is not intended to replace comprehensive clinical diagnostic tests, it could help paramedics and first responders identify stroke patients more quickly, facilitating earlier treatment.