£140k award for AI solution to diagnose ADHD in adults

UNIVERSITY of Huddersfield researchers have become global pioneers in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to diagnose mental health problems and a new NHS-backed award will enable the work to expand.

Professor Grigoris Antoniou has established a research collaboration with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) to introduce AI solutions in Healthcare. The potential of AI to predict suicide risk in mental health patients had been explored, and now the technology is being deployed to help diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults.

The project has been named as one of the successful applicants for the inaugural call of the AI in Health and Care Award from the NHS AI Lab, managed by the Accelerated Access Collaborative in partnership with NHSX and the National Institute for Health Research.

There were more than 530 applications for the first round of awards, with 42 being successful. Professor Antoniou’s project was one of these and it receives a near-maximum grant of £140,000 for a year’s further research.

First-of-its-kind AI solution

The University of Huddersfield project will develop a first-of-its-kind AI solution for diagnosing ADHD in adults, shortening the time people will need to wait for a diagnosis.

The AI technology will use clinical data to guide health professionals as to which patients require extra assessment. It is developed by a team headed by Professor Antoniou with his collaborator Professor Marios Adamou, Consultant Psychiatrist at the South West Yorkshire NHS Trust and a Visiting Professor at the University of Huddersfield.

It has been estimated that 1.5 million UK adults have ADHD, which can cause a wide range of behavioural problems.  The Royal College of Psychiatrists has also said that people with disorder were more likely to commit crime or become suicidal.  Treatments are available, but diagnosis by the hard-pressed NHS can be slow.  The AI solution has the potential to speed up the process and save money.

Study Computer Science at Huddersfield

Professor Antoniou, a globally-acknowledged expert in AI, is delighted to receive the NIHR award.   

“We had funding from the NHS Trust to get started but this confirms that we are on the right path.  We want to revolutionise the diagnosis of ADHD,” he said. 

“There were 42 successful projects in this call and ours was the only one that deals exclusively with mental health,” continued Professor Antoniou.  “This shows that we are establishing ourselves as national and international leaders in the area of AI for mental health.” 

Future plans include harnessing AI to help with the diagnosis of autism. 

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has welcomed the NIHR’s AI in Health and Care Award scheme.  “The NHS has always spearheaded world-leading technologies that can transform and save lives, so it is vital we continue to harness the full potential of modern digital advances to help patients living with life-limiting illness and support our hardworking NHS staff,” he said.