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AI could help diagnose dementia through eye tests

Getty Images Older woman with shoulder-length blonde hair having a photo taken of her eye by an optician with specialist equipment. A light is shining in one of her eyes, lighting up her pupil.Getty Images
It is hoped AI technology can be applied to photographs taken during routine eye examinations

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

Photographs taken of the retina at the back of the eye can give an indication of brain health, and by using AI software to analyse the information, scientists may be able to spot signs of disease before any symptoms are experienced.

The NeurEYE research team has collected almost a million eye scans from opticians across Scotland - the largest data set of its kind in the world - and with the help of AI has developed an algorithm that can assess the health of the blood vessels in the eye that could indicate neurogenerative diseases.

The database the team has built up can be applied to photographs taken during routine eye examinations and could eventually be used by clinicians to either prevent disease from occurring, or to diagnose conditions at a far earlier stage than is currently available.

The blood vessels in the eye are very small and fine meaning they can show up conditions earlier than other parts of the body.

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

Prof Baljean Dhillon is sitting at a bench with white shelves above. He has balding grey hair and is wearing a white shirt, maroon tie and green jacket. Next to him on the bench is a model of an eyeball and a microscope, among other items
Baljean Dhillon said the eye can reveal more than was thought possible

Baljean Dhillon, professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh and NeurEYE co-lead, said: "The eye can tell us far more than we thought possible.

"The retina holds a whole wealth of information and is a biological barometer of our brain health. We can see the retina with the simple, inexpensive equipment found in every high street in the UK and beyond.

"Something very simple like a photograph of a retina can now be harnessed to potentially predict brain change later on 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 no known cure for dementia yet, but early diagnosis can allow patients to get treatment earlier and allow extra time for the patient and those around them to adapt and prepare for the future.

David Steele is looking at the camera. He has grey balding hair and is wearing a blue jumper over a blue shirt. There is a plant behind him and pictures on the wall
David Steele said predictive software could have helped his family after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's

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

His mother had been going to the opticians regularly because her sight was getting worse.

She was initially diagnosed with macular degeneration, but this masked the underlying issue that they now know was cerebral blindness linked to Alzheimer's.

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

"It would have been hugely impactful all round, but the biggest impact would have been for my father who was having to manage through the whole process of my mother's decline," he said.

"If the link 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 pathway for mum becoming worse and worse."

He added: "You might not want to know the message, but you do 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've got to prepare for the moment it no longer becomes easy to manage life."

Edinburgh Innovations Optometrist Ian Cameron giving a woman an eye examination through a piece of specialised equipment. He is looking into the machinery on one side as she rests her chin on the either side as he looks into her eye. One of her eyes is lit up.Edinburgh Innovations
Ian Cameron said technology was helping optometrists pick up on conditions more quickly

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 systems of the body are represented, so as well as all the eye diseases that we look for – cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, problems with vision – we an also detect things to do with your vascular system, your heart, high blood pressure, diabetes, and there's even some links to neurological conditions that you can pick up in the eye.

"Some conditions show up quite late, but with this technology we are spotting them sooner and sooner. Eye care can lead to better health outcomes if you get your eyes tested regularly."

He added: "Everyone must be getting their eyes tested every two years because so many things can be picked up. The earlier we can 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.