Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in the area of dementia increasingly, because it promises identifying Alzheimer disease (AD) -related structural changes in brain scan images and accommodates huge potential for more accurate, early diagnosis of the condition and its progression. AI technology helps people affected by dementia in several ways. First of all, it supports early diagnosis. Big data are used to identify changes to the physical structure of the brain and the energy use and chemical makeup of the brain to spot the earliest signs of dementia. Technology can also be used to spot patterns or changes to memory and thinking, using data collected from thousands of people, over time, through written tests or even testing on smartphone apps. Secondly, AI can help explain how dementia symptoms develop. Dementia is a progressive condition, and it affects people differently over time therefore, AI can be used to predict how the condition will affect the brain physically over time by analysing genetic profiles and creating models to predict who might be more likely to develop dementia, later in life.
Furthermore, AI can be used to enhance care and support so that people affected by dementia can live at home for longer. For example, sensors can be used around the house to intelligently monitor a person's behaviour and to spot risky behaviour or signs of health deterioration. The Turkish Alzheimer Association closely follows AI technology and, this year, as part of its awareness-raising activities on World Alzheimer’s Day, it used a more enjoyable form of AI, namely "Midjourney" which is a text-to-image AI technology, used to produce virtual art. A digital exhibition was launched with the pieces produced by Midjourney, based on the key question: “How would Picasso / Dalí … picture Alzheimer’s disease?”. As the key words were prompted to the app, paintings were created by Midjourney, using the information about and the assumptions of Salvador Dalí, Gustav Klimt, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, İbrahim Çallı, Adnan Çokar and others. The association used AI as a fun tool, but AI technology may soon play an important role in the treatment of Alzheimer's as well, it stressed.
