AI-enabled fully automated retinal image-based biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disorders

AbstractIn this SBIR projectwe present EyeQuantan AI enabled fully automated tool to compute retinal image based biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disordersThe largegrowingand aging population is likely to lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people at risk for dementia and other cognitive disorderswith more thanmillion people expected to be affected byVascular disease is an important cause of dementia and cognitive decline in older peopleThe retinal microvasculaturewhich can be non invasively captured on color fundus photographsshare embryological originsanatomical featuresand physiological properties with the cerebral microvasculatureBiomarkers capturing structural changes in retinal microvasculature have been shown to be indicative of cognitive disorders in patientsincluding mild cognitive impairmentMCIAlzheimerandapos s diseaseand vascular dementiaThese structural vasculature changes can manifest themselves earlier than any functional changes commonly associated with these cognitive disordersA toolsuch as EyeQuantthat can automatically and easily characterize these structural changes as biomarkers directly in primary care settings using fundus photographswould enable early detection and effective management of patients with cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders Narrative EyeQuant is an AI enabled fully automated tool to compute retinal image based biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disordersWith more thanmillion people expected to be effected by dementia and other cognitive disorders bythe burden and global annual costs ofbillion USD is expected to increase significantly over the coming decadesA toolsuch as EyeQuantthat can automatically and easily characterize structural retinal microvasculature changes as biomarkers directly in primary care settings using noninvasively captured color fundus photographswould enable early detection and effective management of patients with cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders