A new partnership is giving Rush patients more insights and information on their MRI scans than ever before, making it easier to understand their disease progression.
When you鈥檙e living with MS, regular MRI scans are one of the most important tools your care team uses to monitor how you鈥檙e doing. These scans provide critical information about what鈥檚 happening inside your brain 鈥 from new lesions to overall changes in your disease progression. Interpreting those scans takes a trained eye, and at Rush, physicians are using the latest technology to add even more insight.
Here鈥檚 how it works: After a patient鈥檚 MRI is done at Rush, the scan is securely sent to , where it鈥檚 analyzed using its AI-powered tool . This software supports the patient鈥檚 doctors by delivering detailed insights into their brain health 鈥 including how effectively their medicine is slowing their disease progression and how they compare to other MS patients at a similar stage.
That added insight helps physicians make even more informed decisions. They could even catch signs of disease progression before patients feel any symptoms, giving doctors a head start in planning next steps.
鈥淢S starts to progress well before patients notice symptoms. Unless we have methods to capture those finer details, we鈥檙e incapable of truly understanding how effective our patients鈥 medications and treatment regimen are, or if their MS is stable,鈥 said , chief of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Rush. 鈥淭his new technology lets us personalize outcomes and be a step ahead in precision medicine for MS.鈥
Easy to understand
icobrain ms adds an extra layer of understanding by detecting and measuring changes in a patient's brain over time. It highlights new and stable lesions using color coding, making it easier to see what鈥檚 happening in a patient's brain. It also generates a clear, easy-to-tread report for neurologists and radiologists, summarizing how things are going and whether the treatment is doing what it鈥檚 meant to.
An example of the annotated MRI scan and summary report that Rush radiologists and neurologists receive through the AI software.
The added insight doesn鈥檛 replace the care patients receive at Rush. It strengthens it, giving doctors more confidence in the decisions they make about a patient's treatment.
鈥淯sing AI and other tools to help us be more nuanced in the way we understand how our patients are doing,鈥 Miravalle said. 鈥淚n isolation, none of the tools will give us all the answers. AI without a human behind it is useless.鈥
Manage your MS from anywhere
Rush is also launching , a new addition to MS care designed to support patients between visits. The free app helps track your health and symptoms, prepare for appointments and gain insight into how your condition is evolving 鈥 all from your phone.
Preview of what the icompanion app looks like (left) and the secure portal (right) that the neurology team at Rush will use to access and review the data patients enter.
- Validated symptom tracking and health monitoring: icompanion allows patients to record symptoms using clinically validated measures, so changes over time aren鈥檛 missed. The app can also integrate with your smartphone or wearable device to track daily steps and sleep, giving doctors a more complete picture of your overall health between visits.
- Support for daily routines and appointment prep: Beyond tracking, the app includes practical tools like medication and appointment reminders. Patients can also make notes about new symptoms or questions as they arise, helping them feel more prepared and making conversations with their doctors more focused and productive.
- Educational content tailored to MS: icompanion gives patients access to a library of over 100 educational videos from trusted sources. These resources are tailored to the symptoms they report in the app and can help them better understand and manage their condition day to day.
The app is free on both iPhone and Android devices in the app stores. Doctors at Rush can provide patients with a code to get access to their data and medical record so they can use the information in future appointments.
The app is not for urgent clinical questions or communication with the clinic. Patients are still urged to use MyChart to communicate with their physicians or dial 911 for medical emergencies.
icobrain is an FDA-approved medical device. icompanion is an FDA-registered software application designed to support individuals living with MS. Always consult your health care provider for medical advice and treatment decisions.
Related info:
- (CBS Chicago)
