A consortium led by South Korea's top universities, Yonsei University and Seoul National University, will embark on a national project promoting the early detection of autism spectrum disorder in the country.
Backed by the National Center for Mental Health and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the project received 9.2 billion won ($6.6 million) in government funding.
According to a media release, the project aims to develop AI-powered digital and medical devices for screening autism, which are targeted for release by 2028. The devices will be run by algorithms based on data from a cohort of 1,200 infants and toddlers below 48 months. Additionally, applications for an innovative medical device designation from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will be pursued.
WHY IT MATTERS
A recent article noted an overall increase in cases of ASD among Korean children and adolescents from 2011 to 2021. It has been estimated that the prevalence of DSM-5-defined ASD is at 2.20%. This trend may necessitate calibrating strategies to enable timelier and more effective prevention and care of children with autism.
However, current approaches in ASD diagnosis, according to the Yonsei-SNU-led consortium, are largely dependent on specialists' findings and subjective observations of guardians, which often render them inconsistent and short of objectivity.
"The AI-based [ASD] screening assistive medical device to be developed through this project will be an opportunity to shift the paradigm of early autism diagnosis and treatment," explained Chun Geun-ah, professor at Yonsei University Severance Hospital and principal project investigator.
"The consortium will establish a foundation to overcome the limitations of diagnosing [ASD] and lead to better treatment outcomes," Kim Boong-nyeon, SNU Hospital (SNUH) professor and co-principal investigator, also said.
The consortium involves several major hospitals, such as Yonsei's Gangnam Severance Hospital, Ewha Womans University Hospital in Seoul and Mokdong, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, and digital health companies, including HurayPositive and Adotcure.
THE LARGER TREND
In 2023, SNUH opened a living laboratory to collect data that will be used to develop algorithm-driven models for detecting and personalising the treatment of ASD. The lab, also supported by the NCMH, serves as a bedrock for new digital therapeutics and the discovery of autism biomarkers.
AI has seen increasing applications in ASD screening and treatment. EarliTec Diagnostics in the United States is a major developer in this space. It received regulatory approval for its autism decision support tool in 2022.
Meanwhile, in Japan, new research utilised eye-tracking technology to demonstrate how predictable movement stimuli can be potentially used as a behavioural marker for autism.
