early detection of neurodegenerative disease Parkinson’s It will be very important to have an early intervention which will help in slowing down 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 Parkinson’s markers on eye scans Using artificial intelligence (AI).
Researchers study retinal images in Parkinson’s disease to identify these signaling markers Parkinson’s present in a person seven years ago Symptoms usually appear earlier. Their analysis of the Alzei dataset was repeated using the larger UK Biobank database (healthy volunteers), which replicated the findings. findings have been published neurology,
Eyes, a ‘window’ to the rest of the organism
It is not the first time that data from eye scans have been used to diagnose a pathology early, because thanks to this type of test, signs of other degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia can be detected earlier. Have passed Eye examination also reveals a tendency to develop high blood pressure, or heart disease or diabetes.
“We hope this method could soon become a pre-screening tool for people at risk of Parkinson’s disease”
Doctors have long known how the eye can function window For the rest of the body, provides direct insight into many aspects of health. High-resolution imaging of the retina is now a routine part of eye care, especially with a type of 3D scan known as optical coherence tomography (OCT), which captures images of the retina (eye) in less than a minute. Creates a cross section of the back). eye) in microscopic detail, down to thousandths of a millimetre.
In addition to being very useful for monitoring eye health, retinal scans are the only non-invasive way to see the layers of cells beneath the surface of the skin, and in recent years researchers have used large numbers of OCTs to accurately analyze them. Have started using powerful computers. and other eye pictures. Furthermore, using a type of AI called “machine learning,” computers can discover hidden information about whole bodies from these images alone.
“I am amazed at what we can discover through eye scans. While we are not yet ready to predict whether a person will develop Parkinson’s, we hope this method can become a screening tool for those at risk of developing the disease sooner,” Dr. said Siegfried Wagner (Institute of Ophthalmology at UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital), lead author of the paper.
“Finding signs of many diseases before symptoms emerge means that, in the future, people may have time to Make lifestyle changes for prevention complicationsAnd physicians can delay the onset and effects of life-changing neurodegenerative disorders.”
Professor Alistair Denniston, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Birmingham University Hospital, University of Birmingham and part of the NIHR Moorfields BRC, said: “This work shows the potential of eye data harnessed by technology, which can detect signals too subtle for humans to detect. And can detect changes. Detection.” “We can now detect early symptoms of Parkinson’s, which opens up new treatment possibilities,
“Increases in imaging across the wider population will have a huge impact on public health in the future and will ultimately lead to predictive analysis. OCT scans are more scalable, non-invasive, lower cost and faster than brain scans for this purpose,” concluded Moorfields Chief Medical Officer Louisa Wickham.