Breakthrough AI tool from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute creates life-changing epilepsy cure for children
An Australian AI tool has allowed 11-year-old John to be cured of his epilepsy. The lesion found in his brain was smaller than a blueberry.
Australian researchers have found a cure for drug-resistant epilepsy in children after creating an AI ‘detective’ which locates brain lesions smaller than a blueberry.
Spotting these tiny seizure-causing lesions with medical imaging alone has been difficult and often delayed life-changing surgery for young children.
Now, using it with an advanced AI tool, 11 Australian children with uncontrolled seizures have been cured after taking part in a landmark study published on Wednesday.
The epilepsy detector tool was developed by a team at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).
The MCRI, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in May, is the largest child health research institute in Australia.
The researchers say the new tool will help deliver a more accurate diagnosis that will lead to faster referrals for epilepsy surgery, fewer seizures in children and improve long-term outcomes.
Before using the AI detector’s keen eye, 80 per cent of trial participants had their diagnosis missed by humans studying their MRI results.
With additional funding, the researchers next want to do more tests in pediatric hospitals across Australia.
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MCRI’s Dr Emma Macdonald-Laurs, a RCH neurologist, led the team.
“We want to test the tool in clinical settings where we haven’t diagnosed a lesion and also look to understand what clinicians, parents and children think about using AI in this way,” she said.
“We are not just looking at the AI solution, we’re looking at it in conjunction with all the patient’s data, and still getting the human expert to confirm that the abnormality is present.
“That is key. I wouldn’t want to put anyone forward for brain surgery unless I was convinced that we definitely can see an abnormality there.”
She said epilepsy was the most common neurological condition in childhood, affecting one in 200 Australian children.
“Identifying the cause early lets us tailor treatment options and helps neurosurgeons plan and navigate surgery,” Dr Macdonald-Laurs said.
“With more accurate imaging, neurosurgeons can develop a safer surgical road map to avoid important blood vessels and brain regions that control speech, thinking and movement and removing healthy brain tissue.”
Dr Macdonald-Laurs said key was being able to find the lesions.
“That’s what the AI detective does; it helps us find the really tiny ones.”
She said in appropriate cases, epilepsy surgery was an effective option and could be a cure if a lesion can be found and completely removed.
“One of the most common lesions we see in children is called dysplasia, but these are difficult to see on MRI, so they are frequently missed and many children are not considered as surgical candidates,” Dr Macdonald-Laurs said.
“Our aim was to make a tool that helps us find them faster so that children can be referred earlier for potentially curative epilepsy surgery.”
The AI detective helped to find a tiny lesion in the brain of trial participant John Kounadis, 11, which had triggered uncontrolled seizures for three years.
Dr Macdonald-Laurs said John’s MRI did not detect a lesion, but he continued to have seizures multiple times a night.
“We were able to run the detector on John’s scan and found that it highlighted this very small area in his right frontal lobe,” she said.
“After careful review of this area and our neuroscientists doing some reformatting of his brain into a 3D model … we felt confident this was the reason for his seizures and he was able to undergo surgery and has not had a seizure since.”
She said the tool does not replace radiologists or epilepsy doctors. “It is a bit like a detective that helps us put the puzzle pieces together quicker so we can offer potentially life-changing surgery earlier.
Dr Macdonald-Laurs said frequent, uncontrolled seizures can impact children and their families.
“These include learning difficulties, intellectual disability, loss of friendships, and the opportunity to be a kid,”
She said there was also parental stress, relationship breakdowns, mental illness, medication side effects, loss of independence and in some children even injury from seizures or sudden, unexplained death in epilepsy.
‘Let’s get this done’
John’s parents Spiros and Irine Kounadis were desperate for answers when their previously healthy only son suddenly started having seizures at night.
“It completely rocked our world,” Mr Kounadis said.
“We asked family here and in Greece if anyone else had similar symptoms, but no one did.”
They agreed to join the trial and following brain surgery in May, John is cured.
“I’m just back to normal,” John said.
Asked if he was worried about going through brain surgery, the articulate and confident youngster said: “I just wanted to get it out of me.”
To his family, John is a hero.
“I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Mr Kounadis said.
“Something like this brings out a better parent in a sense that Irine and I said ‘we have to fix this’. We just do what it takes to get this over the line and get it done.”
He said John’s courage gave the family strength.
“The morning of the surgery John woke up early after a good night’s sleep and said ‘let’s go do this’. I am very proud of him.”
What has left an impression is the many times John was taken to hospital by ambulance after a seizure.
He now wants to be a paramedic.
Dr Macdonald-Laurs said he will be a great asset.
“That’s why I love doing this work, because there are stories like this in epilepsy surgery where you can really change the course of someone’s life.”
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Originally published as Breakthrough AI tool from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute creates life-changing epilepsy cure for children
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