Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported tools increasingly offer the possibility of targeted patient guidance and thus the optimization of care pathways, also in case of chronic diseases as atherosclerosis-management. However, the processes of pathogenetically complex disorders, such as atherosclerosis and associated diseases, like peripheral artery disease, myocardial ischemia or cerebral ischemia, latent diabetes, headache, or immunoregulatory disorders, have not fully been researched concerning their interdependencies in management of care and prevention. The effect of stress on immunmodulation is underestimated, but linking brain network analyses (such as the default mode network, DMN) with modern AI methods offers the opportunity to gain new insights into causes and disease processes through simulation, thereby optimizing patient guidance pathways. Different possibilities for optimization of care pathways emerge: inclusion of a neuro-immunological and further a neuro-symbolic layer provides innovation in health care management and leads to participative adherence of the patients. Our findings support the observation that innovation emerges with the inclusion of a meta-awareness approach.