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The retina and optic nerve head are extensions of the central nervous system – making them the only visible parts of the brain. These structures offer a unique, non-invasive window into brain health, providing insights through advanced imaging, measurements and analyses.

In this multidisciplinary project, entitled “Ocular neuromics. Deep phenotyping of the afferent visual pathway as indicator of brain disease”, neuro-ophthalmologist and Clinical Research Associate Professor Steffen Hamann, Rigshospitalet – University of Copenhagen, will explore the use of advanced retinal and optic nerve imaging coupled with artificial intelligence-based deep learning algorithms to detect brain diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke, based on early, often very subtle ocular changes. This approach is termed ocular neuromics.

‘With ocular neuromics, we are able to provide an early and accurate detection of brain disease and identify biomarkers that signal impending conditions – even before the onset of visual symptoms. We believe this approach will enable us to predict disability in MS and stroke occurrence in giant cell arteritis, and to automatically predict cerebral stroke in patients with a first retinal stroke’, explains Steffen Hamann. ‘Our aim is to provide novel eye-based diagnostic and predictive tools to support neurologists and safeguard brain health’. 

The project is a close collaboration between Steffen Hamann and Professor Dan Milea, a neuro-ophthalmologist and AI expert from The Rothschild Foundation Hospital in Paris. Together, their complementary expertise forms the foundation for a multifaceted and original exploration of the brain through the lens of the eye, using the principles of ocular neuromics.