Machine-Learning (“ML”) (sometimes referred to as artificial intelligence or “AI”) has experienced a renaissance over the past five years thanks to a combination of big data, fast processors, and new algorithms. ML is all around us; from stock trading to autonomous vehicles, ML is already transforming a wide range of industries by finding patterns in massive datasets and delivering actionable intelligence.
Medxtractor Corp. (CSE: MXT) (OTC: MXTTF) is leveraging ML, through its SHAMAN program, to predict probable mental illnesses, and the potential effects of various drugs, including psychedelics, on those illnesses. SHAMAN is a diagnostic tool with an over-arching goal of reducing misdiagnosis rates to increase the efficiency of the overall health system.
Let’s take a look at why improved diagnostics are necessary in mental health and how SHAMAN is well-positioned to address the industry’s shortcomings through ML.
Misdiagnosis in Mental Health
Misdiagnosis can happen with any medical conditions but, given our lack of visibility into the human brain, it’s especially common in mental health. For example, Johns Hopkins found that 60% of people in a non-hospital setting were misdiagnosed with major depression. Other studies have shown that bipolar disorder is similarly incorrectly diagnosed in many cases.
These misdiagnoses can be confusing to patients, but few question the judgment of their clinician. When the course of treatment doesn’t work, patients may feel distraught and breakdowns in communication are common. Incorrect medications can lead to unnecessary side effects while the true mental health condition may worsen.
While these misdiagnoses can be the result of masking symptoms or multiple diagnoses, often it is a lack of data and time that is the true cause. For instance, a person with borderline personality disorder might be incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to their intense emotions; and without adequate data and time to fully analyze the situation the wrong drugs may be prescribed.
SHAMAN’s Novel Approach
Mental health conditions are difficult to diagnose because there aren’t any reliable diagnostic tests that doctors can run. While an X-ray can diagnose a broken bone or a blood test can show an infection, modern medicine hasn’t found a definitive way to correlate brain scans and other data with mental health disorders, which means doctors often need to rely on patient testimony.
Medxtractor developed SHAMAN to create a fast and deep diagnostic tool. Armed with brain wave data, factual biometric records, and proprietary algorithms, the company developed an ML-augmented system, called SHAMAN, to process large amounts of data and find patterns in the data, enabling high-probability, predictive diagnoses of mental health conditions. Even medical specialists are unable to correlate the massive number of calculations that are routine for machine learning systems. Underlying SHAMAN is the Reference Database, a collection of tightly-controlled, proprietary biometric/EEG records that forms the “memory” of the ML system.
The company believes that the technology could play an important role alongside psychedelics in revolutionizing mental health. In combination with more precise diagnoses, psychedelics promise far fewer side effects and greater efficacy than many conventional drugs for the treatment of mental health conditions.
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And there’s more…
YMI (why-am-I) is a consumer mHealth application that uses the same Reference Database as SHAMAN. YMI is designed to predict an individual’s probable health trajectory from current age to old age. This includes not only probable illness development but also a time frame for when an illness may develop and how lifestyle changes may affect the trajectory.
Massive Market Potential
The healthcare industry is known for its problematic legacy infrastructure and procedures that are now being replaced with mobile health or mHealth initiatives. SHAMAN is an mHealth application. With the growing popularity of Apple Watches, FitBits, and other wearables, the healthcare industry is recognizing people’s increasing proactive health interest. Just look at these numbers:
According to Grandview Research, the U.S. mHealth market could reach $166 billion by 2028, with apps far outpacing the growth of wearables. Diagnostics are expected to register the highest growth rate over the forecast period—an area where Medxtractor’s SHAMAN is targeting a key role.
Looking Ahead
Medxtractor Corp. (CSE: MXT) (OTC: MXTTF) is developing SHAMAN and YMI to address the needs of the increasingly health-conscious population. The Reference Database is growing daily and is expected to provide the foundation for shareholder value going forward.
SHAMAN’s potential could also extend well beyond mental health diagnoses. Using the same core problem-solving methodology, the company believes that the technology could be applicable across multiple verticals both in healthcare and beyond.
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