AI can help diagnose dementia through eye tests

Scottish researchers are working on a new AI tool that could be used by high street opticians to spot the early signs of dementia.

Pictures taken of the retina at the back of the eye can provide an indication of brain health, and by using AI software to analyze the information, scientists may be able to spot signs of disease before symptoms appear.

The NeurEYE research team has collected almost one million eye scans from opticians across Scotland – the largest dataset of its kind in the world – and with the help of AI has developed an algorithm that can assess the health of blood vessels in the eyes. may indicate neurogenerative disease.

The database the team has created can be applied to pictures taken during routine eye exams and could eventually be used by clinicians to either prevent disease from occurring, or to diagnose conditions at a much earlier stage than is currently the case. available.

The blood vessels in the eyes are very small and tiny which means they can show the condition earlier than other parts of the body.

The NeurEYE team is led by the University of Edinburgh and includes researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Baljean Dhillon, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh and co-director of NeurEYE, said: “The eye can tell us a lot more than we thought possible.

“The retina holds a wealth of information and is a biological barometer of our brain’s health. We can see the retina with simple, inexpensive devices found on every high street in the UK and beyond.

“Something as simple as a photograph of the retina can now be used to potentially predict brain changes later in life.”

Dementia stops a person’s brain cells from working properly, affecting their ability to remember, think and speak.

According to Dementia UK it affects one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six people over the age of 80.

Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease can lead to memory loss, confusion, or problems with speech and understanding.

There is still no known cure for dementia, but early diagnosis can allow patients to receive treatment earlier and allow additional time for the patient and those around them to adjust and prepare for the future.

Retired mechanical engineer David Steele, 65, whose mother has Alzheimer’s, told BBC Scotland News that an early diagnosis could have saved his family 10 years of heartache and struggle.

His mother had been going to the eye doctor regularly because her eyesight was deteriorating.

She was initially diagnosed with macular degeneration, but that masked the underlying issue, which they now know was Alzheimer’s-related cerebral blindness.

Steele said an earlier diagnosis of the condition would have made a difference.

“It would have had an enormous impact on the whole world, but the biggest impact would have been on my father, who had to deal with the whole process of my mother’s downfall,” he said.

“If the connection could have been made 10 years ago, it would have allowed my father to have a better life. It would also have allowed the family to prepare a path for mum to get worse and worse.”

He added: “You may not want to know the message, but you really need to know the message, then you can plan the rest of what’s going to happen to you.

“Anything that can be put in place early is really, really important because you have to prepare for the moment when life becomes less manageable.”

Specialist optometrist Ian Cameron, who runs a practice in Edinburgh, said: “The eye is unique in that it is a window to the whole body.

“All the body systems are represented, so as well as all the eye diseases we look for – cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, vision problems – we also find things to do with your vascular system, your heart, blood pressure, diabetes and even has some links to neurological conditions that you can catch in the eye.

“Some conditions show up quite late, but with this technology we’re catching them sooner and faster. Eye care can lead to better health outcomes if you get your eyes tested regularly.”

He added: “Everyone should be tested every two years because so many things can be picked up. The earlier we find things, the better.”

The team behind the project hopes to have a prototype ready later this year with a wider rollout of the technology to opticians across the country in 2026.