Qatar Foundation center works on new autism detection tool – The Peninsula

Qatar Foundation center works on new autism detection tool – The Peninsula

Doha: Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), signed an agreement with Argus Cognitive, in association with Rush University, Chicago, USA, in October 2021, to support the early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This collaboration supports the aim of QBRI’s Neurological Disorders Research Center of making a positive impact on the health of people in Qatar and beyond.

What is the Argus diagnostic tool – how does the machine work and how can someone be diagnosed through this tool?

The tool aims to bring machine learning and artificial intelligence into the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation schedule-2). It is a test that takes about 45 minutes. Through the tool, the diagnosis will not depend on the experience of the person conducting the test – as is the case in most medical centers where the doctor, based on his or her own experience, observes the patient, and bases their perception of the condition and determines whether the patient has autism or not.

With the new diagnosis tool, machine learning and artificial intelligence will bring objectivity to the test.

The test is conducted in a room with three cameras – one focused on the patient, another on the person doing