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At Auxologico we are committed to making Neurology increasingly cutting-edge, progressively integrating technologies advance in clinical practice and constantly renewing our approach. Our goal is to create a care system that truly puts the patient and their specific needs at the center.
Digitalization can be a means to make care more human, personalized, accessible and the desire is to bring care closer to the individual needs of patients, making diagnosis and treatment paths increasingly modern, efficient and future-oriented.
This is the spirit with which the Dr. Narghes Calcagno and the Dr. Alessio Maranzano of the Neurology Operational Unit of Auxologico San Luca, led by Prof. Nicola Ticozzi, achieved the Certification in Digital Neurology promoted by Italian Society of Neurology in October 2024. In this article they describe the clinical implications of the new acquired skill.
Neurologists expert in digital medicine
The Certification in Digital Neurology has provided for the in-depth analysis of three main macro-areas:
- Application ofartificial intelligence in both clinical and research medical fields;
- Telemedicine and new perspectives on the doctor-patient relationship;
- Development of new digital technologies for the collection of clinical data, for monitoring selected parameters at home (real-life) and for treatment purposes (digital therapy).
The lessons had a legal, social and philosophical matrix aimed at deepening those aspects not strictly medical relating to the possible ethical-moral conflicts inherent to the use ofartificial intelligence in modern society, in order to provide 360° preparation on the topic.
The course was held by various experts on the topic, bringing together professionals from different specializations:
- medici;
- engineers;
- data scientists;
- jurists;
- psychologists;
- writers.
Digital Neurology in Milan
The skills acquired open the way to new methods of diagnosis and treatment of neurological pathologies.
Digitization
The progressive digitalisation will make diagnoses quicker and more accurate, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence capable of analyzing large quantities of clinical datasuch as neuroimaging and parameters collected from wearable devices. This ability could, in the future, allow early detection of signs of neurological diseasesoffering the opportunity to anticipate interventions.
Personalization of therapies
Thanks to monitoring in real time of patients via devices “wearable”, it is possible to adapt treatments according to their specific responses, thus improving effectiveness.
Telerehabilitation
Telerehabilitation represents a further significant perspective: supporting patients remotely with personalized exercise programs, supervised by healthcare professionals, opens up scenarios for continuity of care more accessible and sustainable, even for those who live in remote areas or have mobility difficulties.
Cybersecurity
Skills in this area are crucial to ensuring the protection of the sensitive datacomply with current regulations and strengthen trust between doctor and patient, especially in an increasingly digital context.
Digital Neurologist for Neurodegenerative Diseases
A fundamental aspect of the work of the Neurology Unit is research in the field of malattie neurodegenerativewhich at Auxologico we carry out with dedication. Digital technologies represent an extraordinary opportunity to deepen our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying these pathologies and for the development of new therapies.
Thanks to the use of tools such asartificial intelligence we are able to analyze large quantities of data, identifying patterns and correlations that guide the definition of new therapeutic approaches. This integration allows us to study the molecular basis of diseases with greater precision, offering new perspectives for targeted and effective treatments, thus contributing to improving the quality of research and hopes for patients.
Read also: Neurodegenerative Diseases
Applied digital medicine
The potential applications ofartificial intelligence in the medical field there are many, these are the main examples active in Italy.
Synthetic data
L’artificial intelligence allows you to generate, by applying algorithms applied to a pre-existing cohort of patients, non-real data attributable to a sort of virtual cohort that faithfully reproduces the characteristics of the cohort under study. THE synthetic data they have a notable impact in the research field as they allow us to produce larger study cohorts and highlight effects that would otherwise not be statistically visible in smaller cohorts. Furthermore, if there are missing but essential data for a study, these can be filled or replaced by synthetic data, strengthening the characteristics of the sample under study.
Brain Twin
The Brain Twin, that is, of a digital twinallows you to digitally reproduce, using powerful computational processing software, a biophysical system to study its characteristics in a controlled environment. The creation of one artificial neural network in fact, it allows us to study the relationship between brain structure and function, allowing us to take steps forward in understanding the most complex neurological diseases
Decentralized trials
The digitalisation of the doctor-patient relationship allows us to overcome the difficulties linked to the geographical distances of patients who go to a third level reference center – such as the ALS and Motor Neurone Disease Center of Auxologico – as well as outside the region.
An example is represented by the so-called decentralized trials in which the administration of the experimental therapy, clinical monitoring and data collection takes place entirely or partially remotely, allowing the inclusion of geographically distant patients.
Digital Therapy
Digital products have been created that perform the same functions as a drug. An example is the smartphone app for the treatment of insomnia, to provide tailor-made digital cognitive behavioral therapy. Some of these applications have already been approved abroad and a similar application will soon be produced in Italy.
Read also: ALS: non-invasive brain stimulation provides hope for slowing down the disease
When to contact the digital neurologist
Il Dr. Maranzano and the Dr. Calcagno finally they explain to us why that of Digital Neurologist it is not a profession of the future but of the present.
According to Dr. Maranzano:
The advent of artificial intelligence represents an unprecedented revolution in the technological field with important consequences in the medical field. Specifically, artificial intelligence will progressively lead to a redefinition of medicine and the role of the doctor. As repeated several times during the course, the doctor’s work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence but by the doctor who will be able to use artificial intelligence.
Dr. Calcagno adds:
As a neurologist and researcher, I believe deeply in the power of innovation to improve patients’ lives. Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis require continuous assistance that cannot stop at the end of a visit. The certification allowed me to explore how digitalization can transform the way we care for our patients. The doctor in the era of digital medicine will be responsible not only for the use of new technological tools, but also for their validation and their adaptation to the needs of patients, ensuring transparency and ethics to improve prevention and health education. Digital expertise is essential to overcome challenges such as patient eligibility for telemedicine, consent management and organizational sustainability, ensuring that technological innovation actually improves the care experience and the quality of medicine.
THE NEUROLOGY OPERATIONAL UNIT OF AUXOLOGICO MOSE’ BIANCHI
The Neurology it is an area of clinical and research excellence in Auxologico, where there is also hospital admission activity. The Operational Unit of Neurology at Auxologico Moses Bianchi, a university management, is an affiliated headquarters of the Specialty School of Neurology of the University of Milan.
The Operational Unit is the national reference center for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases.
Also it is research site detached from Dino Ferrari Center for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases’University of Milan.
L’outpatient activity is carried out at all locations of Auxologico of Lombardy and Piedmont, where the diagnostic imaging, neurophysiology and neuropsychological assessments necessary for the most correct diagnostic classification are available. The Clinical Trials Center finally, it provides the most modern therapeutic approaches in clinical studies of new molecules with potential clinical impact. A dedicated team treats them motor neuron pathologies linked to mutated genes with new gene therapy approaches.
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Thanks for providing this detailed information about the use of artificial intelligence in modern society, particularly in the field of neurology. It’s fascinating to learn about how AI can be used to improve diagnoses, treatments, and continuity of care for patients. Could you provide some examples of specific neurological pathologies or diseases that have seen notable improvements due to the utilization of AI? Additionally, can you expand on how the use of wearable devices and telerehabilitation can enhance the effectiveness of treatments for patients? Furthermore, what steps are being taken to ensure the protection of sensitive patient data and compliance with current regulations? Lastly, I’m curious about the potential challenges that may arise as digital medicine continues to evolve and how the roles of doctors and patients may change in this new landscape.
