What if one of the earliest clues to Alzheimer’s disease could be found during a routine eye exam? In this episode of Tomorrow’s Cure, host Lindsey Seavert sits down with Dr. Oana Dumitrascu, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Yalin Wang, a researcher at Arizona State University, to explore how retinal imaging and artificial intelligence may help identify signs of Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear. Together, they discuss the science behind “seeing the brain through the eye,” how AI can detect patterns invisible to the human eye, and why earlier detection could transform research, prevention, and patient care. This conversation highlights an exciting intersection of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and preventive medicine. How to listen and stay connected: Subscribe to Tomorrow’s Cure on your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you never miss an episode. Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic’s experts—subscribe to Mayo Clinic’s newsletter for free today: https://mayocl.in/3EcNPNc Connect with Mayo Clinic: Like Mayo Clinic on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayoclinic/ Follow Mayo Clinic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayoclinic/ Follow Mayo Clinic on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/MayoClinic Follow Mayo Clinic on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mayoclinic

A Window Into the Brain: Retinal Imaging and Alzheimer's Disease

Tomorrow's Cure

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My vision is that the patient can have, when they have their regular eye scans with their optometrist every year. That particular eye scan can be coupled with an AI model that is really fast and very well validated and accurate. And those well validated algorithms can generate a very clear and individualized risk profile for both cerebrovascular disease,

as well as neurodegeneration. A lot of people think of Alzheimer's disease as something that becomes visible only when the memory starts to slip. But by the time symptoms appear, the disease may have been unfolding quietly for years, even decades.

Now imagine this, one of the most revealing clues about the brain may be hiding in plain sight, in the back of the eye. The retina is the only part of the central nervous system that can be seen directly and non-invasively.

A Window Into the Brain: Retinal Imaging and Alzheimer's Disease

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

A Window Into the Brain: Retinal Imaging and Alzheimer's Disease

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.