Decoding Dementia

Researchers at the University of California, Davis are leveraging AI to tackle dementia through a multi-year initiative called AggieBrain: AI for Next-Generation Neuropathology. Led by Brittany Dugger, leader of the UC Davis Neuropathology Core, and Chen-Nee Chuah, child family professor in Engineering, the project aims to analyze vast digital archives of brain tissue scans to better understand dementia and improve diagnosis and treatment. The initiative is supported by a $420,500 gift from the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation, inspired by co-founder Sue Berghoff, who transformed her dementia diagnosis into advocacy and philanthropy. The goal is to create freely accessible AI tools for researchers worldwide, eliminating computational and dataset limitations. Dementia affects over 7 million people in the U.S., with projections reaching 15 million by 2050. Current diagnosis relies on post-mortem brain donation, limiting research progress. Dugger compares this to early cancer diagnosis, where advancements in profiling enabled tailored therapies. Dementia encompasses multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Lewy body, and vascular dementia, each requiring distinct diagnostic markers. The project focuses on automating the analysis of brain tissue slides, a process currently limited by human capacity. AI models will identify disease hallmarks, such as Lewy bodies in Lewy body disease or amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer’s, by referencing a centralized digital archive of annotated brain tissue data. Chuah’s team is developing standardized frameworks to ensure accuracy and reliability. The initiative aims to create a one-stop research workflow, providing scientists with easy access to labeled brain tissue data. By streamlining this process, researchers hope to accelerate advancements in precision medicine, ensuring patients receive the right treatment at the right time.