Experts from Edinburgh and Dundee are trying to develop a tool to predict the risk of dementia.

Scientists and researchers plan to analyze hundreds of thousands of brain scans to create a software tool that they hope will be able to predict a person’s risk of developing dementia.

A group of 20 experts will analyze data from CT scans and MRIs using artificial intelligence, as well as information from medical records, to find patterns that may indicate the likelihood of developing the condition.

The team aims to create a digital tool that radiologists can use to scan patients to determine their risk of dementia and diagnose early stages of related diseases.

Scientists believe that isolating a group of patients at high risk of dementia will enable the development of more precise treatments for different types of the disease, including Alzheimer’s.

The team is made up of data scientists and clinical researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee, who work as part of a global research collaboration called NEURii, launched a year ago.

It is estimated that around 1.6 million images will be analysed as part of the project. This work is being undertaken with the permission of the Health and Social Care Public Benefit and Privacy Panel, part of NHS Scotland.

The data will be stored securely in Scotland’s National Safe Haven, which has been commissioned by Public Health Scotland to provide a secure platform for using electronic NHS data for research purposes.

Professor Will Whiteley, from the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, who is co-leading the project, said: “Better use of simple brain scans to predict dementia will lead to a better understanding of dementia and potentially earlier diagnosis of its causes, which in turn will facilitate the development of new treatments.

“Currently, dementia treatments are expensive, rare and of uncertain value. If we can collect data from a large group of high-risk people who then agree to participate in trials, we can really start to develop new treatments.”

Professor Emanuele Trucco, an expert in artificial intelligence and medical imaging at the University of Dundee, said: “This new dataset will be incredibly useful for neuroscience researchers.

“If we can achieve a successful proof of concept, we will have a suite of software tools that will seamlessly and unobtrusively integrate into routine radiology workflows, supporting clinical decision-making and flagging dementia risk as early as possible.”

Former journalist Willy Gilder, 71, from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago. He welcomed the project and said: “We know that 45% of dementia cases are preventable and The Lancet has published a list of risk factors including smoking, obesity and air pollution.

“If you know you’re at risk, there are changes you can make that will improve your brain health. Because I was diagnosed early, I know that keeping my mind active, for example, will help me.

“Possible new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease under development are likely to work in the early stages of the disease, so early diagnosis is important. Given the long waiting lists for diagnosis, as well as the relatively low funding for dementia research compared with cancer, a project like this to predict a person’s risk is incredibly important.”