Big Data/AI in Neurocritical Care: Maybe/Summary

Big data (BD) and artificial intelligence (AI) have increasingly been used in neurocritical care. “BD” can be operationally defined as extremely large datasets that are so large and complex that they cannot be analyzed by using traditional statistical modeling. “AI” means the ability of machines to perform tasks similar to those performed by human intelligence. We present a brief overview of the most commonly applied AI techniques to perform BD analytics and discuss some of the recent promising examples in the field of neurocritical care. The latter include the following: cognitive motor dissociation in disorders of consciousness, hypoxic-ischemic injury following cardiac arrest, delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, and monitoring of intracranial pressure. It is imperative that we develop multicenter collaborations to tackle BD. These collaborations will allow us to share data, combine predictive algorithms, and analyze multiple and cumulative sources of data retrospectively and prospectively. Once AI algorithms are validated at multiple centers, they should be tested in randomized controlled trials investigating their impact on clinical outcome. The neurocritical care community must work to ensure that AI incorporates standards to ensure fairness and health equity rather than reflect our biases present in our collective conscience.