The study will specifically address autism diagnosis in females. Pic: Getty Images.
Health & Biotech
Special Report: BlinkLab has formed a partnership with Netherlands company INTER-PSY to run a clinical trial for its smartphone-based AI app that aids in diagnosing autism and ADHD.
The trial will not only provide clinical data in young children with autism to optimise the company’s experimental and AI algorithms, it will also accelerate the path to US and European regulatory approval for autism and clinical adoption.
Additionally, BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) expects the partnership with INTER-PSY to support adoption of its platform as a diagnostic tool within the autism diagnostic community in Europe.
“Our collaboration with INTER-PSY is one of the final steps in the prospective validation of BlinkLab’s platform before we commence our FDA registration trial later this year. I’m deeply appreciative of INTER-PSY’s partnership on this critical journey,” chief executive officer Henk-Jan Boele said.
“As part of the large SCANNER consortium in Europe, this study with INTER-PSY will also specifically address autism diagnosis in females.
“Our BlinkLab team is in the final phase of fine-tuning our AI models and algorithms to ensure they meet the highest standards of accuracy, safety, and efficiency.”
Chairman Brian Leedman said the BlinkLab technology had the potential to significantly reduce wait times for the diagnosis of autism, paving the way for treatment to be able to begin at a formative age where early intervention can lead to better outcomes for children and their caregivers.
The BlinkLab platform was developed by a team of neuroscientists from Princeton University, medical doctors and software engineers. It uses advanced smartphone sensors to measure subtle changes in sensory responses, focusing on the brain’s reaction to unexpected sounds.
This approach leverages the known phenomenon that individuals with ADHD and autism often exhibit different responses to unexpected sounds, such as blinking such as blinking rate and amplitude compared to neurotypical individuals.
Under the partnership agreement, INTER-PSY will run a prospective study on the ability of the BlinkLab app to aid in diagnosis of autism in children between 2-6 years of age that are referred to INTER-PSY.
This will allow INTER-PSY to evaluate whether the company’s technology can enhance their diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in the clinic.
Both parties will bear their own costs in relation to the project and will keep their own intellectual property that they bring to the collaboration.
Adding further interest is the move to include female participants in the trial, a development that stems from BB1’s membership in the SCANNER Consortium, which seeks to investigate sex differences in autism at a gene, brain and behaviour level.
While autism is diagnosed four times more often in men than in women, little is known about the biological mechanisms behind this disparity, or to what extent the overrepresentation in males is due to bias in the medical research that is also present during the diagnostic process.
BB1 noted that female participants have historically been excluded from medical studies and basic research, resulting in a large gap in basic biological and clinical knowledge.
This results in real-life disadvantages for women with neurodivergent conditions, as doctors often ignore the behaviours presented by women, meaning that they are less likely to be referred for diagnostic tests and receive timely support, with long-lasting negative consequences for their quality of life.
This article was developed in collaboration with BlinkLab, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
Health & Biotech
Health & Biotech
Health & Biotech
