AN app could save your life by spotting signs of a stroke, a study shows.
The smartphone feature was able to identify symptoms including facial asymmetry, arm weakness and speech changes using AI, US researchers found.
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They used it to analyse videos of 240 stroke patients, with the app accurately diagnosing them with the deadly condition.
Dr Radoslav Raychev, of University of California, Los Angeles, said: “It’s exciting to think how this app and the emerging technology of machine learning will help more patients identify stroke symptoms upon onset.
“Quickly and accurately assessing symptoms is imperative to ensure that people with stroke survive and regain independence.
“We hope the deployment of this app changes lives and the field of stroke care.”
Around 100,000 Brits suffer a stroke every year, with around 35,000 dying.
They are caused by the blood supply to the brain being cut off, starving it of oxygen.
This is a result of a blood clot in 85 per cent of cases, but can also happen because of a weakened blood vessel bursting.
People with high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes and an irregular heartbeat are particularly at risk.
Symptoms include the face dropping on one side or being unable to smile.
Patients may also be unable to lift their arms because of weakness or numbness, and their speech can become slurred or garbled.
The study, presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 20th Annual Meeting, looked at whether the app was able to spot these changes.
It was used on patients at four stroke centres in Bulgaria within three days of them being admitted.
The app measured facial changes using 68 landmark points and assessed arm weakness with motion trackers.
It was able to detect speech changes using a microphone, converting sound waves into images that can show whether it is normal or slurred.