Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease with “a simple picture of the eye”

Researchers in the US are investigating whether an eye exam which uses artificial intelligence technology could help early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

As part of a new study, the researchers used the technology to analyse pictures of the eye and were able to identify those with Parkinson’s disease, with the key marker of the condition being smaller blood vessels.

Maximillian Diaz, lead study author and a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida, US, said: “The single most important finding of this study was that a brain disease was diagnosed with a basic picture of the eye.

“It’s just a simple picture of the eye, you can have it done in less than a minute, and the cost of the equipment is much less than a CT or MRI machine. If we can make this a yearly screening, then the hope is that we can catch more cases sooner.”

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