In a new development, scientists at the University of Iceland used artificial intelligence to gauge the age of the brain. According to medical knowledge, as people age, grey matter in the brain decreases significantly. And, grey matter is the area where thoughts are conceived. Hence, as people age, the worse they perform on memory and cognitive tests. Aging of the brain is also related to environmental and genetic factors. This means the biological age of the brain may not necessarily match with the age of the person. But how can this be figured out?
AI-based algorithm employs MRI to gauge Brain Age
To find this, scientists designed an AI algorithm and proved it is possible to use artificial intelligence techniques to gauge the age of the brain. The algorithm uses magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. For magnetic resonance imaging, AI looks for patterns of reduced concentration of grey matter, as it is clear sign of aging. The results produced by the algorithm can be pretty spectacular – the age of the brain can be 35 years, while the person may be just 30 years old. Although studies suggest that environmental factors play an important role in the aging of brain, scientists say genes are even more significant.
In particular, some genes are associated with poor cognitive performance, which can now be linked with brain age. Further, certain genetic variations and brain diseases such as schizophrenia are related to high brain age. For this research, artificial intelligence serves as an essential tool, for scientists to gauge how brains age and how this process is different from the aging body.
Meanwhile, so far, research on brain age has generally been focused on the impact of environmental factors.