The mapping of more than 50,000 retinas has revealed ways to detect multiple diseases earlier than current diagnostic methods.
The study, led by Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) was one the largest eye studies in the world and revealed new insights into retinal thickness.
Dr Vicki Jackson said the findings broaden the horizons for using retinal imaging as a doorway into the central nervous system, to help manage diseases like type 2 diabetes, dementia and multiple sclerosis.
Dr Jackson said the study used cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to analyse over 50,000 eyes, producing maps of the retina in unprecedented detail to better understand how retinal differences linked to various diseases.
She said the retina was part of the central nervous system, which also comprised the brain and spinal cord.
“Many diseases are linked to degeneration or disruption of this critical system, including neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and metabolic disorders like diabetes.”
Dr Jackson said, globally, neurological conditions alone were one of the leading causes of disability and illness, with over 3 billion people, or 43 percent of the world’s population living with a brain-related condition.
“Our maps’ fine-scale measurements reveal critical new details about connections between retinal thinning and a range of common conditions.”
She said the study also identified new genetic factors that influenced retinal thickness, which were likely to play a role in the growth and development of a person’s retina.
Read the full study: Multi-omic spatial effects on high-resolution AI-derived retinal thickness.
