Eye scans detect signs of Parkinson's disease

Scientists using data from eye scans have identified markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson's disease in patients on average seven years before clinical presentation. 

This is the first time anyone has shown these findings several years before diagnosis, and these results were made possible by the largest study to date on retinal imaging in Parkinson's disease.

The team, which included specialists from Oxford University Hospitals, was led by the Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

The study, published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, identified markers of Parkinson's in eye scans with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Its analysis of the dataset was repeated using the wider UK Biobank database of healthy volunteers, which replicated the discoveries.

The use of these two large, powerful datasets has enabled the team to identify these subtle markers, even though Parkinson's disease has a relatively low prevalence.

The generation of the 'AlzEye' dataset was enabled by INSIGHT, the world's largest database of retinal images and associated clinical data.

Data from eye scans have previously revealed signs of other neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and, most recently, schizophrenia, in an emerging and exciting field of research referred to as 'oculomics'.

Eye scans and eye data have also been able to reveal a propensity to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease including strokes, and diabetes.

Read more about these findings on the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust website:

Eye scans detect signs of Parkinson's disease up to seven years before diagnosis - Moorfields Eye Hospital