AI Technique to Accurately Measure Brain Fluid Flow Could Revolutionize Treatment of Alzheimer’s

A diverse team comprised of mechanical engineers, neuroscientists, and computer scientists led by University of Rochester (Rochester, NY, USA) has developed novel AI-based velocimetry measurements to accurately measure the flow of brain fluid. Previously, the team had managed to carry out two-dimensional studies on fluid movement in perivascular spaces by injecting tiny particles into the fluid, tracking their position and speed over a period. However, to gain a deeper understanding of this complex system, more complex measurements were necessary. Examining such a vital, fluid system in itself presented a challenge that the team addressed by adopting AI to enhance the existing 2D data with physics-informed neural networks, resulting in a first-of-its-kind high-resolution view of the system.

“This is a way to reveal pressures, forces, and the three-dimensional flow rate with much more accuracy than we can otherwise do,” said University of Rochester Associate Professor Douglas Kelley who led the team. “The pressure is important because nobody knows for sure quite what pumping mechanism drives all these flows around the brain yet. This is a new field.”

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