'The eyes are the window to the brain': University of Saskatchewan researchers develop Alzheimer's disease detection tool

Alzheimer's disease could be detected using retinal scans in an ophthalmologist's office with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

“It's a well-known saying that the eyes are the windows to the brain.” University of Saskatchewan “This is the part of the brain that we have direct access to from the outside – our eyes,” researcher Changuis Taghibiglou (of the University of Saskatchewan) said Wednesday.

Tag HibiGlu University of Saskatchewan Researcher Sara Mardani-Samani and a team of local doctors and scientists are working on developing a new non-invasive AI screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. The current test for people who already have symptoms is a spinal puncture, which takes a sample of cerebrospinal fluid.

“Currently, the ultimate detection of Alzheimer's disease is postmortem,” Taghiviglou says, “meaning once a person has died, brain tissue is available to pathologists.”

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Saskatchewan scientists fight brain disease with 'mini-brains'

Taghi-Bioglou and Mardani-Samani are training an AI algorithm to identify patterns of degeneration associated with Alzheimer's. Over a two-year period, they will analyze optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the retinas going back decades from about 100 people recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's and compare them with retinal scans from healthy controls going back decades.

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“We analyze the thickness of the optic nerve layer and the retina layer and analyze the changes in thickness,” Tagbigloo said.

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Taghiviglou said the ultimate goal is to use the AI ​​tool in an eye doctor's office to notify a patient's primary care physician if the algorithm detects an abnormality. The team hopes that if they can detect disease years before signs and symptoms begin to appear, they can take steps to improve patient outcomes.

“By making lifestyle changes and increasing physical activity, we can slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases,” he said. “We can slow the progression of the disease and delay its onset.”

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Their project, “Screening Saskatchewan's Eyes with Non-Invasive Imaging Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease,” received a $150,000 impact grant from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

“We are extremely grateful. Without the funding we would not have been able to start the project. This is a great support for our research.”

Although the project is focused on detecting Alzheimer's, the researchers hope that this type of research could one day be used to detect other diseases, such as Parkinson's. The team hopes that this work can be developed into a database and app that can help different clinicians collaborate on patient care.

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