Detecting New Lesions Using a Large Language Model: Applications in Real‐World Multiple Sclerosis Datasets

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Neuroimaging is routinely utilized to identify new inflammatory activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). A large language model to classify narrative magnetic resonance imaging reports in the electronic health record (EHR) as discrete data could provide significant benefits for MS research. The objectives of the current study were to develop such a prompt and to illustrate its research applications through a common clinical scenario: monitoring response to B-cell depleting therapy (BCDT). METHODS: An institutional ecosystem that securely connects healthcare data with ChatGPT4 was applied to clinical MS magnetic resonance imaging reports in a single institutional EHR (2000-2022). A prompt (msLesionprompt) was developed and iteratively refined to classify the presence or absence of new T2-weighted lesions (newT2w) and contrast-enhancing lesions (CEL). The multistep validation included evaluating efficiency (time and cost), comparison with manually annotated reports using standard confusion matrix, and application to identifying predictors of newT2w/CEL after BCDT start. RESULTS: Accuracy of msLesionprompt was high for detection of newT2w (97%) and CEL (96.8%). All 14,888 available reports were categorized in 4.13 hours ($28); 79% showed no newT2w or CEL. Data extracted showed expected suppression of new activity by BCDT (>97% monitoring magnetic resonance images after an initial "rebaseline" scan). Neighborhood poverty (Area Deprivation Index) was identified as a predictor of inflammatory activity (newT2w: OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.10-2.59, p = 0.017; CEL: OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.01-2.34, p = 0.046). INTERPRETATION: Extracting discrete information from narrative imaging reports using an large language model is feasible and efficient. This approach could augment many real-world analyses of MS disease evolution and treatment response. ANN NEUROL 2025;98:308-316.

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