QF research center’s work on early diagnosis of autism progressing – The Peninsula

QF research center’s work on early diagnosis of autism progressing – 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, US, last year, 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.

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, according to Dr. Fouad Alshaban, Senior Scientist at the Neurological Disorders Research Center (NDRC) at QBRI.

The test is conducted in a room with three cameras – one focused on the patient, another on the person doing the test, and the third giving a full view of the room where the test is taking place. The person conducting