Opticians could use AI to spot dementia risk with eye scan

High street opticians could play a key role in pinpointing individuals at risk of dementia by spotting distinctive patterns in the retinas of those in the early stages of cognitive decline.

- Robin McKie Science Editor

These diagnoses would carried out during routine eye checks.

The prospect follows the development of an AI technique known as Quartz that can be used to study eye scans and identify key differences in the shapes and sizes of retinal blood vessels in a few seconds. The technology automatically measures width and the extent to which these tiny veins and arteries - known as arterioles and venules - twist and turn.

The blood vessels in the eye act as an extension of those in the brain and the development of Quartz gives researchers a unique opportunity to analyse retinal scans as a non-invasive way to assess the characteristics of blood vessels elsewhere. In particular, it allows them to study the eye for markers of brain health and for signs of neurodegeneration.