From Eye to Brain: EEG and Retinal Biomarker Profiling for Early Diagnosis and Prognosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (360G-Wellcome-337909_Z_25_Z)

Alzheimer’s disease remains the leading cause of dementia globally, with early detection critical for effective intervention to delay disease progression and the onset of cognitive symptoms. Traditional biomarkers, such as PET imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers are invasive, expensive, and not widely accessible. Non-invasive alternatives including retinal imaging and electroencephalography (EEG) offer promising and accessible avenues for early detection. Research integrating retinal imaging and EEG has shown retinal structural and functional alterations in Alzheimer’s disease. However, the neural mechanisms associating retinal structural changes to whole-brain cognitive dysfunction remain unclear. This project investigates whether retinal structural alterations can serve as indicators of brain function during cognitive processing in Alzheimer’s disease. Retinal and EEG measures will be associated in individuals with disease pathology, validated by PET and CSF. Using deep learning across multiple datasets spanning later adulthood, we will enhance cross-modal analysis of disease progression. Further, we will evaluate the clinical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of an integrated diagnostic approach using retinal imaging and EEG, both independently and in combination. By elucidating the neural mechanisms associating retinal structures to cognitive function, and evaluating the practical utility of these non-invasive modalities, this work aims to advance early diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease.