AI-assisted ophthalmic imaging for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a promising role in ophthalmic imaging by providing innovative, non-invasive tools for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Since early diagnosis is crucial for slowing disease progression and improving patient outcomes, leveraging AI-assisted ophthalmic imaging retinal imaging can enhance detection accuracy and clinical decision-making. METHODS: This review examines clinical applications of AI in identifying retinal biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Relevant data was gathered through a comprehensive literature review using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar to evaluate studies utilizing AI algorithms for retinal imaging analysis, focusing on diagnostic performance, sensitivity, specificity, and clinical relevance. RESULTS: AI-assisted ophthalmic imaging retinal imaging enhances the early identification of neurodegenerative diseases by detecting microscopic structural and vascular changes in the retina. Studies have demonstrated that AI models analyzing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and fundus images achieve high diagnostic accuracy. Studies have reported an area under the curve (AUC) of up to 0.918 in PD detection, with sensitivity ranging from 80 to 100% and specificity up to 85%. Similarly, AI-assisted OCT angiography (OCT-A) analysis has successfully identified retinal vascular alterations in AD patients, correlating with cognitive decline and an AUC of 0.73-0.91. These findings highlight AI's potential to detect preclinical disease stages before significant neurological symptoms manifest. DISCUSSION: The integration of AI technologies into ophthalmic imaging holds the potential to improve early diagnosis and transform patient outcomes. However, challenges such as model interpretability, dataset biases, and ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure the responsible integration of AI into clinical practice. Future research should focus on refining AI algorithms, integrating multimodal imaging techniques, and developing predictive biomarkers to optimize early intervention strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.