Key facts
- An anaesthetist used AI to identify a vitamin B6 deficiency as the cause of his mother's seizures.
- The deficiency was potentially linked to her Parkinson's medication, carbidopa-levodopa.
- Ann Patrick's seizures stopped after receiving a vitamin B6 supplement.
- Her cognitive Parkinson's symptoms have also dramatically improved.
- Experts caution patients against changing medication or supplements without medical advice.
- High doses of vitamin B6 can cause problems, and blood tests are recommended.
An anaesthetist has described how he used an artificial intelligence tool to help diagnose a rare vitamin B6 deficiency in his mother, which he believes was causing severe seizures linked to her Parkinson's medication. Ed Patrick, from Oxfordshire, was at his mother Ann's bedside when she was suffering continuous fits and convulsions, with hospital staff having exhausted standard anti-seizure treatments.
Patrick utilized Google's Gemini AI to quickly summarize recent medical journal articles. He presented his findings to the neurology consultant, suggesting that a vitamin B6 deficiency, potentially caused by her long-term use of carbidopa-levodopa (a common Parkinson's drug), was the likely culprit. Medical staff administered an intravenous vitamin B6 supplement, which appeared to immediately halt the seizures.
"She hasn't had a seizure since," Patrick told BBC Radio 2. "The next day the family and medics were all ecstatic. The neurologist was high-fiving me." Dr Bruno Gran, the consultant neurologist involved, confirmed Patrick's reasoning was sound and noted the unexpected speed and magnitude of the response. He added that only 14 similar cases have been reported, and the hospital is working to raise awareness and implement practice changes.
Ann Patrick has since made a full recovery from the seizures, and her family reports a dramatic improvement in her day-to-day cognitive Parkinson's symptoms. "It's like we've got mum back," Ed Patrick said, describing her as "sharp as a tack" and having regained a "really good quality of life."
While the case has generated excitement about the potential for AI in medical research and the possibility of transforming care for some Parkinson's patients, experts urge caution. Parkinson's UK welcomed the prospect of more research trials but stressed that patients should never change their medication or supplements without consulting a doctor. Professor Tom Foltynie, a Parkinson's specialist at University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, noted that excessively high doses of vitamin B6 can cause problems and recommended blood tests to check levels before supplementation.