July 30, 2024 – Infrared retinal scans may be able to detect multiple sclerosis with “astonishing” accuracy, which could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, researchers reported.
"This approach fills an unmet need in MS diagnosis,” study investigator Rahele Kafieh, of the Department of Engineering at Durham University in the UK, said.
Researchers used a computer program, called a machine learning model, that is trained to recognize certain types of patterns. The model was designed to use two different types of eye scans to look for tell-tale signs of MS. The program had near 100% accuracy, the researchers said.
"The improved diagnostic performance, with high sensitivity and specificity, suggests that this method can better differentiate between MS and healthy individuals, addressing the need for more accurate and reliable diagnostic tools in MS," Kafieh said.
The study was published in the July issue of Translational Vision Science & Technology.
Two Scans Better Than One
Damage from MS can affect the retina. Optical coherence tomography, one type of scan the model used, can help identify signs of MS, monitor the disease’s progression, and see how well therapies work. However, it remains unclear how incorporating infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, the other type of scan used in the model, may improve automated diagnosis of MS.
To investigate, researchers trained computer models to classify multiple sclerosis using eye scan data from 32 patients with MS and 70 healthy individuals.
The results were impressive. But, "while the results are promising, this approach is not yet ready for clinical use," Kafieh said.
More studies with larger and more diverse populations are needed to see if the findings can be repeated, she said.
Need for Further Research
Commenting on the research, Patricia K. Coyle, MD, professor of neurology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook, in Stony Brook, NY, echoed the need for further research.
"People are looking for a proven MS diagnostic biomarker, but we do not have that yet," Coyle, who was not involved in the study said.
This new research is "preliminary and would require extensive additional validation studies before it could be accepted. The numbers are very small, and there is not a robust control group of other neurologic disease subjects," Coyle said.