Artificial intelligence for prenatal chromosome analysis

Clin Chim Acta. 2024 Jan 1:552:117669. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2023.117669. Epub 2023 Nov 23.

Abstract

This review article delves into the rapidly advancing domain of prenatal diagnostics, with a primary focus on the detection and management of chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 13 ("Patau syndrome)", "trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome)", and "trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)". The objective of the study is to examine the utilization and effectiveness of novel computational methodologies, such as "machine learning (ML)", "deep learning (DL)", and data analysis, in enhancing the detection rates and accuracy of these prenatal conditions. The contribution of the article lies in its comprehensive examination of advancements in "Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)", prenatal screening, genomics, and medical imaging. It highlights the potential of these techniques for prenatal diagnosis and the contributions of ML and DL to these advancements. It highlights the application of ensemble models and transfer learning to improving model performance, especially with limited datasets. This also delves into optimal feature selection and fusion of high-dimensional features, underscoring the need for future research in these areas. The review finds that ML and DL have substantially improved the detection and management of prenatal conditions, despite limitations such as small sample sizes and issues related to model generalizability. It recognizes the promising results achieved through the use of ensemble models and transfer learning in prenatal diagnostics. The review also notes the increased importance of feature selection and high-dimensional feature fusion in the development and training of predictive models. The findings underline the crucial role of AI and machine learning techniques in early detection and improved therapeutic strategies in prenatal diagnostics, highlighting a pressing need for further research in this area.

Keywords: Chromosome Abnormalities; Deep Learning; Down Syndrome; Machine Learning; NIPT.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Chromosome Aberrations
  • Chromosome Disorders* / diagnosis
  • Chromosome Disorders* / genetics
  • Chromosomes
  • Down Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Diagnosis / methods
  • Trisomy
  • Trisomy 13 Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Trisomy 13 Syndrome / genetics
  • Trisomy 18 Syndrome / diagnosis