The Role of Artificial Intelligence-Powered Imaging in Cerebrovascular Accident Detection

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) often occur suddenly and abruptly, leaving patients with long-lasting disabilities that place a huge emotional and economic burden on everyone involved. CVAs result when emboli or thrombi travel to the brain and impede blood flow; the subsequent lack of oxygen supply leads to ischemia and eventually tissue infarction. The most important factor determining the prognosis of CVA patients is time, specifically the time from the onset of disease to treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted neuroimaging alleviates the time constraints of analysis faced using traditional diagnostic imaging modalities, thus shortening the time from diagnosis to treatment. Numerous recent studies support the increased accuracy and processing capabilities of AI-assisted imaging modalities. However, the learning curve is steep, and huge barriers still exist preventing a full-scale implementation of this technology. Thus, the potential for AI to revolutionize medicine and healthcare delivery demands attention. This paper aims to elucidate the progress of AI-powered imaging in CVA diagnosis while considering traditional imaging techniques and suggesting methods to overcome adoption barriers in the hope that AI-assisted neuroimaging will be considered normal practice in the near future. There are multiple modalities for AI neuroimaging, all of which require collecting sufficient data to establish inclusive, accurate, and uniform detection platforms. Future efforts must focus on developing methods for data harmonization and standardization. Furthermore, transparency in the explainability of these technologies needs to be established to facilitate trust between physicians and AI-powered technology. This necessitates considerable resources, both financial and expertise wise which are not available everywhere.