Heuron’s Parkinson’s Disease AI Solutions ‘Heuron IPD, Heuron NI’ Prove Performance, Published in International Journal

Nov. 2024



Heuron, a medical artificial intelligence (AI) company specializing in neurological disorders, has recently validated the performance of its Parkinson’s disease AI solutions, Heuron IPD and Heuron NI. The research results have been published in ‘Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.’


Heuron IPD and Heuron NI are AI solutions for assisting in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease based on MRI scans. The solutions automatically analyze the nigrosome region to detect the presence of abnormalities (Heuron IPD) and provide quantitative results (Heuron NI). As Parkinson’s disease progresses, dopaminergic neurons are damaged, leading to the loss of the nigrosome region. Therefore, the change in the nigrosome region is a key biomarker for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease.


The research was led by Professor Ling Ling Chan and her research team at Singapore General Hospital and National Neuroscience Institute, a world-renowned figure in the field of Parkinson’s disease. The team conducted the research over the course of a year with about 200 subjects, including patients with Parkinson’s disease and healthy individuals.


The research found that AI-assisted analysis of changes in the nigrosome region, which were previously done by clinicians through visual assessment only, could help improve diagnostic accuracy. This can be particularly helpful in distinguishing borderline cases from patient groups.


Moreover, Heuron IPD and Heuron NI can be used in training medical professionals, such as residents and non-Parkinson’s specialists, and serve as diagnostic support tools in hospitals with a shortage of experienced specialists.


According to Professor Chan’s team, Heuron IPD and Heuron NI demonstrated performance comparable to the assessment of the expert neuroradiologist. Its objective evaluation through AI can benefit the clinical practice. In addition to its clinical utility, the solutions show value as assistant tools for medical professionals.


Dr. Shin Dong-Hoon, CEO of Heuron, commented, “There is a growing demand in Singapore for MRI examinations of the midbrain to analyze various stages of Parkinson’s syndrome. While PET and DAT scans are considered the gold standard, there is now a clear shift towards MRI, which offers better accessibility and cost-effectiveness. We will continue to build clinical evidence, especially through our Singapore office, to ensure the deep-rooted presence of Heuron’s solutions in the medical field.”


The research demonstrated that Heuron IPD achieved an accuracy rate of 90%

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