Retinal scan can detect Parkinson's 7 years in advance

hellojoy12

A group of scientists managed to detect signs in the human eye that predict Parkinson 's disease , up to 7 years in advance. For early identification of risk markers, they used three-dimensional retinal scans, a database, and the help of trained artificial intelligence (AI).

The study was published in Neurology and carried out by staff at University College London in conjunction with Moorsfields Eye Hospital, in the United Kingdom. The results contribute to the form Phone Number List ation of oculomics, a new field of study that analyzes ophthalmic biomarkers via software to predict systemic diseases.

To accomplish the feat, the researchers took to the Alzeye database , the world's largest registry of retinal images and associated clinical data. For automatic pattern identification, they used an AI and trained it with information from Alzeye . The scientists tested the effectiveness of the software with the help of records from the United Kingdom Biobank, which is made up of healthy patients.

The trained AI analyzed the morphology of the retinas of healthy patients . When the information was compared with disease patterns from databases, the algorithm yielded a selection of patients likely to develop Parkinson's. In a follow-up of the individuals mentioned by the AI, the precision of the technique was confirmed.

This is not a brain, it is a model that will emulate it and neurodegenerative diseases will be implanted in it.
Human brains will be grown on the International Space Station
A startup sent brain cells out of Earth's orbit to investigate their maturation.
The route to Parkinson's lies in the thickness of the retinal layers
For the analysis of the eye, optical coherence tomography (OCT), a common non-invasive type of three-dimensional scan, was implemented. The technique allows us to appreciate the cross section of the retina with details of up to a thousandth of a millimeter .



Parkinson's disease mainly affects the patient's motor system. To a lesser extent it also impairs his vision. Those who suffer from it may experience decreased visual acuity and have difficulty focusing on objects. Involuntary eye movements, unified under the name nystagmus, are part of the condition, as well as a decrease in the frequency of blinking.

There are subtle changes in the body that warn of the condition. In studies on the bodies of patients who had Parkinson's, key differences were found that contrast with healthy people. The inner nuclear layer of the retina has different thicknesses, for example. Similarly, the researchers found size patterns in the inner plexiform layer of the ganglion cells (these are responsible for sending visual information to the brain). The dimensions of these membranes are related to a greater risk of generating Parkinson's disease. The association is greater than that conferred by other factors or comorbidities.