Five French hospitals are joining the Pelargos project, led by B&A Biomedical, to revolutionize early screening for autism by analyzing data collected in maternity wards. This new step marks a decisive advance towards the large-scale validation of this artificial intelligence system. With Pelargos, France is on track to become the first country in the world to detect autism from birth.
In France, nearly 700,000 people live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, diagnosis is only made between the ages of 4 and 6 on average, which is far too late to allow for optimal care. Every year, 8,000 children are born with ASD, and their families face a long journey before obtaining a diagnosis and appropriate support.
The Pelargos Project, led by B&A Biomedical, is radically changing the game: thanks to artificial intelligence and the analysis of data from routine monitoring in maternity wards and during the first days of life, it is now possible to identify newborns at risk of developing ASD from birth.
An innovation that has already won an awardAn initial pilot study, conducted in collaboration with the Limoges University Hospital (Drs. Eric Lemonnier and Hugues Caly) and published in the Scientific Reports section of the journal Nature*, demonstrated that it is possible to detect nearly 50% of children at risk, with only 4% false positives. his innovation, which paves the way for unprecedented screening, was honored with the 2022 e-Health Award
A decisive new phase
Today, five French hospitals are joining this large-scale project: Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital, Eure Seine Hospital, La Musse Hospital, the New Navarre Hospital, and Rouen-Normandy University Hospital.
The program, supported by the Région Sud, the French government (Plan d’Investissement d’Avenir – PIA4) and certified by the Eurobiomed competitiveness cluster, will enable the model to be strengthened and validated on a large scale. The goal is to collect data from 2,000 children (1,000 with ASD and 1,000 neurotypical) to refine the algorithm and achieve a detection rate of 60 to 70%.
A major societal impact
By detecting at-risk children earlier, Pelargos will make it possible to:
- Guide and significantly anticipate diagnosis,
- Initiate psychoeducational therapies as early as 2-3 years of age, at the key moment of brain plasticity,
- Improve the quality of life and autonomy of those affected in the long term.
- Pave the way for new avenues of research into understanding the origin of these disorders
- Identify new potential therapeutic targets by identifying decisive biomarkers.
We know that the earlier autism is diagnosed, the more effective educational and behavioral interventions are. With Pelargos, we are providing medicine with a unique tool for detecting at-risk children from birth, in order to give them every chance to flourish. This is a real medical and societal revolution. This new signature marks an essential step, and we are going to expand it. Other French university hospitals are being called upon to join us in this pioneering adventure in the early detection of autism in neonatal care.
With Pelargos, France could become the first country in the world to offer autism screening from birth, a world first with considerable medical and social implications.
*https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86320-0
About B&A Biomedical
Founded by internationally renowned neuroscientist Yehezkel Ben-Ari, B&A Biomedical embodies innovation and technological agility in the service of health and biology. The company develops customized data analysis solutions, combining artificial intelligence and biomedical expertise, to transform the detection, prediction, and modeling of biological events into accessible and powerful tools. B&A Biomedical collaborates with major players in public health research (university hospitals, laboratories, research institutes) and private research, and conducts its own research projects such as Pelargos to identify early signs of neurodevelopmental disorders and develop diagnostic tools based on complex imaging in the field of oncology (particularly brain tumors). With more than 520 scientific publications to its credit and several award-winning projects, the B&A Biomedical team aims to make France a pioneer in predictive medicine applied to neuroscience and perinatal health.
To find out more and join the Pelargos adventure: https://www.babiomedical.com/, contact@babiomedical.com
