Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital is training a computer algorithm to recognize changes in a patient's face and identify signs of stroke, The Wall Street Journal reported April 10.
By identifying stroke patients through facial recognition rather than brain scans or blood tests, clinicians can speed up the treatment process. The computer algorithm is being trained to recognize signs of stroke such as the paralysis of specific facial muscles or unusual eye movements.
"The face is probably one of the most sophisticated signaling systems in the universe," Robert David Stevens, MD, director of precision medicine and chief of the Division of Informatics, Integration and Innovation at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, told the Journal. "Maybe we could actually measure what's happening and then leverage advanced analytical techniques and artificial intelligence to process large amounts of information and generate new insights."