Here’s how AI could aid in early Alzheimer’s detection
CTV
University of Saskatchewan researchers want to make early detection of Alzheimer’s as easy as a routine eye exam.
University of Saskatchewan researchers want to make early detection of Alzheimer’s as easy as a routine eye exam.
Neuroscientist Changiz Taghibiglou and postdoctoral fellow Sara Madranisamani are using data from retinal scans and artificial intelligence to develop a screening tool that could predict the disease decades before symptoms appear.
“This is non-invasive. There is no harm, no pain to the patient,” Taghibiglou said.
The team is working off previous research that suggests changes in the layers of the retina and optic nerve can indicate Alzheimer’s 10 to 20 years before a diagnosis, Taghibiglou said.
“Eyes are the windows of the brain because they sit directly connected to the brain (and) to the optic nerve,” he said.
The project, which includes researchers from areas in neuroscience, computer science and medicine, will use AI to train an algorithm that can use retinal images taken from a routine eye exam to detect early patterns of degeneration.
“If we train more and more and more, we will get more accurate results,” Madranisamani said.
