Reducing AI bias in Alzheimer's brain image analysis
Correcting biases in deep learning models
['FUNDING_R01'] · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · NIH-11249548
This project will make AI used on Alzheimer's brain scans less biased so patients get more reliable results.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (DALLAS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11249548 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will change how AI models learn from medical data so they can separate overall disease patterns from site- or patient-specific quirks. They will adapt deep learning to model fixed effects and random effects like traditional mixed-effects statistics while keeping the AI's ability to find complex patterns. The team will work with 3-D brain images and grouped patient data (for example, scans from the same person or the same hospital) to reduce biases that can mislead predictions. If successful, the models should be more interpretable and give fairer, more reliable predictions for people with Alzheimer's disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with Alzheimer's disease (or their imaging data) who have 3-D brain scans or clinical imaging collected at a hospital or clinic.
Not a fit: People without brain imaging data, those with non-Alzheimer's conditions unrelated to the datasets used, or those not sharing their clinical imaging are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make AI-based readings of brain images more accurate and fair for people with Alzheimer's, reducing wrong or misleading results.
How similar studies have performed: Deep learning has improved medical image analysis in many studies, but applying mixed-effects methods to correct clustered-data bias is a newer, relatively untested approach in this context.
Where this research is happening
DALLAS, UNITED STATES
- UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER — DALLAS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MONTILLO, ALBERT AMOS — UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- Study coordinator: MONTILLO, ALBERT AMOS
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome