Want to better understand the human brain? Try machine learning.
That’s the big idea behind BrainSight.AI, an Indian startup that creates AI-based neuroimaging tools that help psychiatrists and neurologists in diagnosing mental disorders and neurosurgeons in pre-surgical planning. Their AI-powered software empowers doctors with functional reports in hours, if not minutes.
Founded in 2019 by Laina Emmanuel and Rimjhim Agrawal, BrainSight.AI was selected to join the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab in Fall 2020. 
“Early screening, early differential diagnosis and individualized modeling are the key imperatives for transforming the methodologies of mental health treatment,” said Emmanuel, the CEO. “With the help of Dassault Systemes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, our aim is to harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning for enabling a holistic view of patients that can lead to better outcomes and bring about a paradigm shift in how mental health is tackled as a public health issue.”
The BrainSight.AI MRI solutions for functional and structural investigation give clinicians an unprecedented view into the patient’s brain, enabling early screening, diagnosis and modeling. The tool uses AI-based imaging markers to identify and classify disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and early forms of dementia – and to simulate effects of surgery on brain functionality. This combination of AI and advanced neuroscience enables greater precision and accelerated patient outcomes.
Accelerating research
A member of several accelerator programs, BrainSightAI is, in a way, looking to pay it forward. The startup has a “Neuroscience-as-a-Service” model that offers clinicians the chance accelerate their research programs with help from the BrainSight.AI platform and team.
Here’s how it works: after the patient has an MRI, the reports are uploaded to the cloud for pre-processing. Then, normalized reports run are run through BrainSightAI models that recognize disorder patterns. These insights are consolidated in a report.
At the same time, symptoms are tracked using active and passive data through an app, providing insights into mood changes, activity, sleep levels and other behaviors. The doctor then receives comprehensive insights from the two reports as both 3D visualizations and PDFs for offline consultation.
“Together, our tools can transform how mental health is tackled as a public health issue,” Emmanuel said in her 3DEXPERIENCE Lab pitch session. For example, the simulation can help destigmatize disorders for the patients themselves.
“Functional activity and connectivity patterns, just visualizing those is very powerful for patients,” Emmanuel explained during the session, “because they realize for things like schizophrenia, that’s it’s not a character flaw they have – it’s something in their brain, which is very different.”
