Motor Neurone Disease

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare and incurable neurodegenerative condition which affects the motor neurons in the brain, leading to muscle weakness, speech difficulties, and respiratory failure. Predicting the prognosis of MND at the diagnostic appointment would help with more efficient and effective clinical care management as well as improving clinical trial recruitment. Clinical data recorded at MND-care appointments includes ratings of the patient’s functions and neurodegeneration-related markers in the blood. Brain and spinal imaging (usually MRI) is also taken at the diagnostic appointment to rule out mimic diseases.

We are combining different sources of MND data to predict disease progression through the application of deep learning data fusion techniques. Additionally, we are exploring the relationship between the brain age paradigm and MND disease progession through the use of deep generative modelling. In collaboration with Professor Andrea Malaspina and the UCL Queen Square Motor Neurone Disease Centre https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/research/research-centres/motor-neuron-disease-centre