Learn more about our groundbreaking technology by exploring the scientific research, resources, and references that have guided our visionaries and clinical researchers.
Neurological Conditions Overview
Neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, causing a wide range of symptoms and challenges that impact daily life. At NSI we are directing our Technology on a subset of this wide range that include:
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Neurodevelopmental Disorders that develop in early childhood, such as:
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- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Produces difficulties with social interaction and communication
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- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Produces hyperactivity and trouble focusing
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Neurological Disorders affecting the brain and nervous system, such as:
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- Alzheimer’s Disease: Produces progressive memory loss and cognitive decline
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- Parkinson’s Disease: Produces movement issues like tremors and stiffness
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Leading experts and institutions emphasize that early care is essential in more effectively managing these conditions, including:
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- Early Intervention – Key to better outcomes, especially in children
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- Team Approach – Collaboration among doctors, therapists, educators, and family members
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- Education – Helping families understand and manage conditions
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- Regular Monitoring – Adapting treatment as needed over time
Overall, awareness and understanding of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders are crucial for effective care. This involves staying updated on the latest diagnostic and management methods and working together across disciplines to support patients and their families.
Helpful Resources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Mayo Clinic: Neurological Examination
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Autism Spectrum Disorder
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): Disorders
- Simply Psychology: Gyri and Sulci of the Brain
- World Health Organization (WHO): Neurological Disorders: Public Health Challenges
- Autism Science Foundation
Research References
Landmark Study
Years of research in the Bioimaging Laboratory within the Bioengineering Department of the University of Louisville, in conjunction with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and Norton Children’s Autism center, have demonstrated that specific regions of the cerebral cortex and their surface characteristics (known as “gyri” and “sulci”) may correlate to autism.
Results from a 2015 national study spearheaded by researchers at the University of Louisville were able to predict with 80% accuracy which children would develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 2 through an analysis of MRI brain scans at ages 6 months and 1 year—the earliest yet indicator of the possible development of the condition.
These brain scans revealed enlargement in specific regions of the brain and changes in brain volume, surface area, and thickness of the organ at both 6 and 12 months of age. A research version of the algorithm achieved an autism identification rate of 94%.
The team of researchers, which included 10 other institutions, credited their predictions’ accuracy to the algorithm that was applied to the data in classifying children most likely to meet the criteria for ASD by age 2. About 150 children were included in the research, and the subjects were limited to those considered at high risk of autism because of an older sibling’s diagnosis.
This leading research paves the way to predicting which children will develop ASD significantly before common behavioral symptoms emerge. Five years of age is the average age of diagnosis using conventional measures. “Autism by the Numbers” 2023, Autism Speaks, Inaugural Annual Report
Pioneering Research
- Y. ElNakieb, et al., “Towards Personalized Autism Diagnosis: Promising Results,” 2018 24th International Conference on Pattern Recognition (ICPR).
- Rachid Fahmi, et al., “Classification Techniques For Autistic vs. Typically Developing Brain Using MRI Data,” IEEE, 2007.
- Manuel F. Casanova, et al., “Focal Cortical Dysplasia in Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 2013.
- Emily L. Williams, et al., “Spherical Harmonic Analysis of Cortical Complexity in Autism and Dyslexia,” Translational Neuroscience, 2012, NIH Public Access, 2012.
- M. Nitzken, et al., “3D Shape Analysis of the Brain Cortex With Applications to Autism,” IEEE, 2011.
- Ayman El-Baz, et al., “Accurate Automated Detection of Autism Related Corpus Callosum Abnormalities,” 2010, Journal of Medical Systems, 2011.
- Manuel F. Casanova, et al., “Reduced Gyral Window and Corpus Callosum Size in Autism: Possible Macroscopic Correlates of a Minicolumnopathy,” Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 2009.
- Ayman El-Baz, et al., “A New Image Analysis Approach For Automatic Classification of Autistic Brains,” IEEE, 2007.
- M. Nitzken, et al., “Shape Analysis of Human Brain: A Brief Survey,” IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, 2013.
Supportive Research
- Omar Dekhil, et al., “A Comprehensive Framework for Differentiating Autism Spectrum Disorder From Neurotypicals by Fusing Structural MRI and Resting State Functional MRI,” Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 2020.
- Omar Dekhil, et al., “A Personalized Autism Diagnosis CAD System Using a Fusion of Structural MRI and Resting-State Functional MRI Data,” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019.
- Amir Alansary, et al., “Infant Brain Extraction in T1-Weighted MR Images Using BET and Refinement Using LCDG and MGRF Models,” IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 2016.
- M. Ismail, et al., “Segmentation Of Infant Brain MR Images Based On Adaptive Shape Prior And Higher-order MGRF,” IEEE, 2015.
- Amir Alansary, et al., “An Integrated Geometrical and Stochastic Approach For Accurate Infant Brain Extraction,” ICIP, 2014.
- Gregory L. Wallace, et al., “Increased Gyrification, But Comparable Surface Area in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 2013.
