San Ramon Freshman Developing AI Model To Help Detect Alzheimer's

SAN RAMON, CA — A Dougherty Valley High School freshman is developing an AI model that uses open-source brainwave datasets that she hopes could one day help detect Alzheimer's disease earlier and more affordably.

Ashrita Panigrahi said that she was inspired to make early Alzheimer's screening routine and affordable for everyone after learning how invasive and expensive current methods like PET scans or spinal taps can be. She developed a computational framework to test whether low-cost non-invasive brain wave signals called EEG could detect Alzheimer's disease before irreversible brain damage occurs.

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"Imagine your brain is like a bustling city's transit network. In early Alzheimer's, communication lines between different neighborhoods start experiencing micro-delays long before any physical road damage happens," Panigrahi explained. "An EEG cap records electrical brainwaves (like watching traffic flow), and my AI model acts like a smart analyzer that catches these subtle timing delays between brain regions that a human eye would miss."

Panigrahi said that she built and trained the AI framework using open-source brainwave datasets. She said the model identified patterns associated with Alzheimer's disease, although the technology has not yet been tested as a screening tool for people who have not been diagnosed with the condition.

Panigrahi said she hopes to eventually develop the technology to identify warning signs in people who have not yet developed symptoms, potentially making earlier screening more accessible.

Panigrahi said she conducted the research independently. She said a separate neuroscience research paper is undergoing a second round of editorial review with the International Youth Neuroscience Association's journal. She also plans to submit her research to regional and national STEM competitions, including fairs affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Beyond her Alzheimer's research, Panigrahi has pursued interests in robotics, mathematics, and competitive speedcubing. According to her personal website, she was part of an all-girls robotics team that qualified for state championships.

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