Researchers at the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and international collaborators, are utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to study retinal images. By combining this data with patient demographics and health information, they aim to uncover valuable insights into health and disease.
Image Credit: Jo Panuwat D/Shutterstock.com
The goal of the NeurEYE research team is to identify patterns that may provide a general picture of brain health and a person's risk of dementia.
World’s Largest
The project, led by the University of Edinburgh with support from Glasgow Caledonian University, has compiled nearly one million eye scans from opticians across Scotland, creating the world’s largest dataset of its kind.
This extensive resource aims to support the development of software that opticians can use as a predictive or diagnostic tool for conditions like Alzheimer’s. The software could help triage patients, referring them to secondary health services if signs of brain disease are detected.
Experts believe it could also serve as a method to monitor cognitive decline. Identifying individuals at risk of dementia may accelerate the development of new treatments by targeting those most likely to benefit from clinical trials and improving the ability to track their responses to therapy.
Additionally, this approach could empower individuals and healthcare professionals to reduce the risk of developing dementia through lifestyle modifications, such as increased physical activity and dietary changes.
The eye can tell us far more than we thought possible. The blood vessels and neural pathways of retina and brain are intimately related. But, unlike the brain, we can see the retina with the simple, inexpensive equipment found in every high street in the UK and beyond.
Baljean Dhillon, Professor and NeurEYE Co-Lead, Clinical Ophthalmology, University of Edinburgh
The data is anonymized and securely stored in the Scottish National Safe Haven, a platform designed for the research use of NHS electronic data. This secure resource is commissioned by Public Health Scotland and hosted by the Edinburgh International Data Facility through EPCC at the University of Edinburgh.
Approval to use the data is granted by the Public Benefit and Privacy Panel for Health and Social Care, a body within NHS Scotland dedicated to ensuring privacy and ethical use of health data.
Global Project
The project is the second initiative supported by NEURii, a global collaboration that brings together the University of Edinburgh, pharmaceutical company Eisai, Gates Ventures, medical research charity LifeArc, and the national health data science institute Health Data Research UK. The research teams also receive support from Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh's commercialization service.
NEURii is dedicated to transforming innovative digital projects into practical solutions that could improve the lives of millions of patients with neurodegenerative conditions like dementia. Its first project, SCAN-DAN, utilizes brain scans and artificial intelligence to predict dementia risk.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence promise to revolutionize medical image interpretation and disease prediction. However, in order to develop algorithms that are equitable and unbiased, we need to train them on datasets that are representative of the whole population at risk. This dataset, along with decades-long research at the University of Edinburgh into ethical AI, can bring a step change in early detection of dementia for all.
Miguel Bernabeu, Professor and NeurEYE Co-Lead, Computational Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh
Harnessing the potential of digital innovations in this way could ultimately save the NHS millions because the hope is that it will speed up the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions like dementia. The UK, with its single healthcare provider, is also well-placed to become a global leader in the development of new tests that use health data. This is why we are collaborating to advance promising digital health projects that have the potential to improve millions of lives.
Dr. Dave Powell, Chief Scientific Officer at LifeArc
NeurEYE
Video Credit: Edinburgh Innovations