Research Development: Using Artificial Intelligence to Identify PTSD

Many people who are exposed to trauma, such as those who are injured in an accident, go on to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD and traumatic brain injury often co-exist because brain injuries are frequently sustained in traumatic experiences.

Researchers at the Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University are developing a method to use artificial intelligence to determine if a patient has PTSD. A computer program has been developed which can identify a healthy brain in comparison to a brain with PTSD. It has the ability to differentiate between two types of PTSD. With one subset of PTSD, the patient experiences hyperactivity, intense feelings of emotions, fight-or-flight reactions, quick pulse, and is prone to outbursts. The second type of PTSD involves patients feeling dissociated and detached, as if they have shut down or are having an out-of-body experience.

Individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents receiving accident benefits through their auto insurance will benefit from the use of this technology to diagnose PTSD. This objective evidence of PTSD may be used to argue that an injured person’s application for psychological treatment should be approved.

Additional information about this PTSD research can be found in a recent London Free Press article here.