Early detection of a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s would be very important to carry out early intervention to help stop its progression. This could become a reality thanks to a new study by researchers at UCL (University College London) and Moorfields Eye Hospital who have identified markers of Parkinson’s in eye scans using artificial intelligence (AI).
Researchers studied retinal images in Parkinson’s disease to identify these markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson’s in a person seven years on average before their first symptoms appear. Their analysis of the AlzEye data set was repeated using the broader UK Biobank database (healthy volunteers), which replicated the findings. The findings have been published in Neurology.
The eyes, a ‘window’ to the rest of the body
This is not the first time that data from eye scans have been used to diagnose a pathology early, since thanks to this type of tests, signs of other degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia had already been found before. Eye examinations have also revealed the propensity for high blood pressure, or for developing cardiovascular diseases or diabetes.
“We hope that this method can soon become a screening tool for people at risk of Parkinson’s disease.”
Doctors have long known that the eye can act as a window to the rest of the body, offering direct insight into many aspects of health. High-resolution imaging of the retina is now a routine part of eye care, especially a type of 3D scan known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) that, in less than a minute, produces a cross-section of the retina ( the back of the eye) with minute detail, down to a thousandth of a millimeter.
In addition to being very useful for monitoring eye health, a retinal scan is the only non-invasive way to see the layers of cells beneath the skin’s surface, and in recent years researchers have begun using powerful computers to accurately analyze a large number of OCT and other ocular images. Additionally, using a type of AI known as “machine learning,” computers can discover hidden information about the entire body from these images alone.
“I continue to be amazed by what we can discover through eye scans. “While we are not yet ready to predict whether an individual will develop Parkinson’s, we hope that this method may soon become an early screening tool for people at risk for the disease,” said Dr. Siegfried Wagner (University Institute of Ophthalmology). UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital), lead author of the work.
“Finding signs of a range of diseases before symptoms arise means that, in the future, people could have time to make lifestyle changes to prevent complications, and doctors could delay the onset and impact of symptoms.” life-changing neurodegenerative disorders.
Professor Alistair Denniston, Consultant Ophthalmologist at University Hospitals Birmingham, Professor at the University of Birmingham and part of NIHR Moorfields BRC, said: “This work demonstrates the potential of ocular data, harnessed by technology, to detect signs and changes. too subtle for humans to detect.” “We can now detect very early signs of Parkinson’s, which opens up new treatment possibilities.”
“Increased imaging across a broader population will have a huge impact on public health in the future and will eventually lead to predictive analytics. “OCT scans are more scalable, non-invasive, lower cost and faster than brain scans for this purpose,” concludes Louisa Wickham, medical director at Moorfields.
