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Research Paper|Volume 16, Issue 22|pp 13648—13661

Amyloid beta biomarker for dementia detection by hyperspectral ophthalmoscope images

Yu-Bun Ng1, Sheng-Feng Sung2, Hong-Thai Nguyen3, Shih-Wun Liang3, Yu-Ming Tsao3, Yi-Hui Kao4, Wen-Shou Lin5, Hsiang-Chen Wang3,6
  • 1Department of Radiology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi City 60002, Taiwan
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Neurology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi City 60002, Taiwan
  • 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Min Hsiung, Chia Yi 62102, Taiwan
  • 4Department of Medical Education and Research, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Douliu 640, Taiwan
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology Division, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung City 80284, Taiwan
  • 6Director of Technology Development, Hitspectra Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung City 80661, Taiwan
Received: April 9, 2024Accepted: November 15, 2024Published: December 6, 2024
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206171

Copyright: © 2024 Ng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

The escalating prevalence and economic burden of dementia underscore the urgency for innovative detection methods. This study investigates the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to detect dementia by analyzing retinal changes associated with amyloid beta (Aβ) formations. Leveraging a dataset of 3,256 ophthalmoscopic images from 137 participants aged 60 to 85 years, categorized into dementia and non-dementia groups via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), we extracted features from five key regions of interest (ROIs) identified for their pronounced changes in Aβ biomarkers. The analysis revealed that gender does not significantly influence dementia levels, and no substantial spectral differences were observed within the 380 nm to 600 nm wavelength range. However, significant variations in spectral reflection intensity were noted between 600 nm and 780 nm across both genders, suggesting a potential avenue for distinguishing stages of dementia. Despite the impact of diabetes on the vascular system, its stages did not significantly influence dementia development. This research highlights the utility of HSI in identifying dementia-related retinal changes and calls for further exploration into its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool, potentially offering a non-invasive method for early detection of dementia.