Eye scans could reveal signs of Parkinson's disease years before diagnosis, researchers say

BOSTON - Looking deep into someone's eyes may reveal they have Parkinson's disease years before they develop the telltale symptoms.

You may have heard that the eye is a "window" to the rest of the body because looking at the back of the eye can reveal signs of certain conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. High-definition retinal scans have also been used to identify signs of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia.

Now with the help of artificial intelligence, researchers at the University College London have pinpointed markers of Parkinson's disease in these images that may be present an average of seven years before patients even develop symptoms. While they can't yet predict who will develop Parkinson's, this method could one day become a pre-screening tool for those at risk.

In:
• Health
• Parkinson's Disease

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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