Diagnoses

Yael Bensoussan, MD, is part of the USF Health's department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. She's leading an effort to collect voice data that can be used to diagnose illnesses.

Artificial intelligence could soon diagnose illness based on the sound of your voice

8:10am October 10, 2022

Everything from your vocal cord vibrations to breathing patterns when you speak offers potential information about your health. Researchers are collecting voice data to one day use in an app.

An app uses a smartphone camera to detect leukocoria, a pale reflection from the back of the eye. It can be an early sign of disease. Here it appears light brown compared the healthy eye.

An App That Can Catch Early Signs Of Eye Disease In A Flash

8:54am October 08, 2019

by Joe Palca

After his son developed a rare eye cancer, a chemist in Texas developed a smartphone app that uses a camera and artificial intelligence to detect early signs of eye disease.

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The good old reflex hammer (like this Taylor model) might seem like an outdated medical device, but its role in diagnosing disease is still as important as ever.

In The Age Of Digital Medicine, The Humble Reflex Hammer Hangs On

5:00am May 28, 2017

by Bret Stetka

Nearly 130 years since its inception, a modest knob of rubber with a metal handle is still invaluable in diagnosing disease and avoiding expensive testing. But its history is anything but simple.

A saliva test allowed scientists to accurately predict how long concussion symptoms would last in children.

Spit Test May Reveal The Severity Of A Child's Concussion

5:05am May 04, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

By measuring fragments of genetic material in saliva, scientists were able to accurately predict whether a young person's concussion symptoms would last days or weeks.

Pathologists use slides like this one to look for signs of cancer in breast tissue.

How Much Can Women Trust That Breast Cancer Biopsy?

5:06pm March 19, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Pathologists are great at spotting cancer, but less so at identifying atypical cells or DCIS, a study finds. That could lead to women getting too much treatment — or not enough.

Find other stories in the Living Cancer series at WNYC.org.

Cancer Patients And Doctors Struggle To Predict Survival

6:56pm February 10, 2015

by Amanda Aronczyk

After being diagnosed with cancer, people often ask one question first: "How long do I have?" Doctors usually overestimate the time, and patients often don't understand it's a range, not one number.

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Dr. Allan Ropper speaks with residents and fellows as they do rounds at the neuroscience intensive care unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

A Doctor Unlocks Mysteries Of The Brain By Talking And Watching

3:23pm September 29, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

If you have a problem with your heart or liver, the diagnosis is likely to be made by a lab test or medical image. But neurologist Allan Ropper says those tests often fail when it comes to the brain.

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Despite significant advances in neurology and imaging, researchers still don't have simple lab tests for diagnosing patients with mental disorders. Diagnoses are still mostly based on a patient's signs and symptoms.

Health & Safety

Why Is Psychiatry's New Manual So Much Like The Old One?

12:51pm May 17, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Unlike cardiology and most other fields of medicine, psychiatry still hasn't developed discrete, biological tests for diagnosing illnesses of the mind. That's because the brain "hasn't yielded its secrets yet," one psychiatrist says.

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