DOCUMENT

19 Diagnosis in the palm of your hand ANeurological Foundation-funded small project grant of $15,000 has helped Dr Abbasi and his team refine the cerebral palsy app by adding features that make it more user-friendly for doctors. Cerebral palsy (an umbrella termthat refers to a groupof movement disorders) happenswhen a baby’s developingbrain is damagedeither duringpregnancy or shortly after birth. It’s themost common causeof physical disability for children inNewZealand. Early detection is vital, as the brain’s plasticity in the first few monthsmeans interventions aremuchmore effective. Dr Abbasi, from the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, has worked collaboratively with a team including clinicians tomake sure the appworks seamlessly and is easy to use. The aim is to have two versions – one for clinicians and one for parents. Remarkably, parents will be able to video their baby using their own phone and send the footage through the app, which then gets analysed automatically to identify if the infant is at risk of developing cerebral palsy. This is particularly beneficial for Kiwis who live in remote, rural locations. Due to meticulous work by the team, and harnessing the power of evolving artificial intelligence, the video will be accurate enough to base a definite diagnosis on. Perhaps as important as finding out early, many at-risk babies will be given the all-clear – reassuring worried parents and relieving the burden of fear. Dr Abbasi thinks the app will be rolled out into clinics within the next 2-3 years, providing a cheap, readily- available new tool that could change the lives of hundreds of people. Asked about the impact of a world-leading diagnostic app being developed here in New Zealand, Dr Hamid Abbasi’s answer is emphatic. “It could be the difference between spending your life in a wheelchair or being able to take care of yourself independently.” “Early detection and diagnosis is themost important factor influencing long-termoutcomes for a person with a neurological disorder. Achieving thiswith a standard smartphone breaks downpotential equity or geographical barriers to healthcare.” Professor Thor Besier