Computers diagnose Alzheimer's better than MDs

Computers are able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease faster and more accurately than experts, according to a study from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (WTCN) in London. The findings may help ensure that patients are diagnosed earlier and more accurately: Whereas definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's can only be done by a trained clinician after death - earlier diagnosis is accurate only 85 percent of the time, according to WTCN - computers can identify the characteristic damage of Alzheimer's disease in a living person with an accuracy as high as 96 percent. According to WTCN Prof. Richard Fracowiak, the new method eliminates the need for human intervention - a particularly attractive option for places with a shortage of trained clinicians and when a standardized reliable diagnosis is needed, such as in drug trials.
For details, visit : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080222082429.htm