In the swarm against Alzheimer's.

In order to be able to make a diagnosis, physicians have always looked for abnormalities in the data of patients, i.e. for characteristics that indicate a certain disease. For this purpose, they use the conversation with the patient, medical examinations or even laboratory values.

Today, they are helped by artificial intelligence (AI), i.e. self-learning software. Capable of detecting previously unknown patterns in studies comprising of hundreds or even thousands of data sets, AI allows medical researchers to understand disease processes better and develop therapies that are more effective.

At the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), we therefore use "swarm learning," a novel AI method that simplifies the analysis of locally stored data across different research centers. With the help of algorithms, the local systems can learn from each other and thereby share their experience. This potential makes the approach particularly interesting for diseases for which there is currently no effective treatment, such as Alzheimer's disease.

(Header: DZNE/Volker Lannert)