Posted By :  Admin1

A new artificial intelligence program called SeeMe can identify tiny facial movements in comatose patients, revealing awareness several days before doctors can detect it. Developed by a team led by neuroscientist Sima Mofakham at Stony Brook University, the AI tracks tiny changes in a patient’s face, such as slight twitches or subtle shifts in the skin, that are too small for human eyes to see. 

In a study published in Communications Medicine, the researchers tested SeeMe on 37 people with severe brain injuries. The tool found eye-opening in 30 of them and mouth movements in 16. In one case, it detected a mouth movement on day 18 after admission, although the patient only showed clear motor response on day 37. Overall, it could spot signs of consciousness up to eight days earlier than traditional medical exams. 

This discovery could change care for patients who appear totally unresponsive. By giving doctors and families objective data earlier on, decisions about treatment or rehabilitation might be made more wisely. The team hopes to improve the tool further, perhaps to allow simple yes/no answers from patients who cannot speak or move, so that even those with “covert consciousness” can have their awareness acknowledged.