AI for the identification of Brugada syndrome

Research and innovation

• 20 December 2023
• 1 minute

The Institute of Digital Technologies for Personalized Healthcare (MeDiTech) has developed an artificial intelligence system to identify Brugdata syndrome, a genetic disorder that alters heart rhythm.

Brugada syndrome is a genetic disorder that disrupts heart rhythm. It predominantly affects young men and carries the risk of sudden cardiac death, thus representing a major social concern.

Traditionally, diagnosis of the syndrome has been based on the identification of specific visible patterns on the electrocardiogram (ECG), particularly with reference to ventricular abnormalities. Recent discoveries, however, have shifted the focus to the atria, revealing new diagnostic possibilities.

This shift is part of collaborative work between the Biomedical Signal Processing (BSP) research group of the Institute of Digital Technologies for Personalized Healthcare (MeDiTech), led by Francesca Faraci, and the Cardiocentro Ticino Institute of the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC).

As part of this study, Beatrice Zanchi, a MeDiTech PhD student, developed an artificial intelligence system that identifies Brugada syndrome by focusing exclusively on atrial abnormalities. This approach focuses on the analysis of the P wave, a specific part of the ECG related to atrial activity.

Grazie a questo studio non solo viene messa in discussione la comprensione convenzionale della sindrome di Brugada, ma si apre anche la strada a metodi diagnostici innovativi, favorendo la rilevazione e l'intervento precoci.

This study challenged the conventional understanding of Brugada syndrome and opened new perspectives for innovative diagnostic methods, promoting early detection and intervention.

Significant findings were published in EP Europace Journal, a journal of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Medicine and Medical Physiology published by Oxford University Press:

https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euad334