NYU Langone receives $1.6 million grant from NIH to study Alzheimer, Parkinson progression

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Researchers at NYU Langone Health will investigate changes in the eye that may signal early signs of Alzheimer Parkinson diseases thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

According to NYU Langone, the award, OT2OD038130, recognizes the eye as a part of the brain and its role as a window into cognitive and visual health.¹

The grant may be renewed an additional 2 years after the initial $1.6 million award, for a total of $4.8 million as part of the NIH Common Fund Venture Program's new Oculomics Initiative. Oculomics is a relatively recent term that describe the integrative use of technology and ocular imaging to identify retinal biomarkers of systemic disease.

NYU Langone noted in its news release the study will apply a novel eye-imaging technology, visible-light optical coherence tomography (OCT), to detect biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease.

Principal investigators for this project are Vivek J. Srinivasan, PhD, associate professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Radiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a member of the Tech4Health Institute, and Laura J. Balcer, MD, MSCE, vice chairperson of the Department of Neurology and a professor in the departments of Neurology, Ophthalmology, and Population Health.¹

"The goal is to find signatures of neurological disease by looking into the eye, which is an easily accessible window to the brain," Srinivasan said in the release. "Using visible-light OCT, we are able to capture high-resolution images of the retina to potentially detect the early and progressive changes that are associated with neurological conditions."

According to Srinivasan, visible-light OCT can capture micrometer-level images of the retina to better detect subtle structural changes in neurodegeneration. Traditional OCT uses near-infrared light, which can only capture at a resolution of 3 micrometers at best. Visible-light OCT also enables molecular sensitivity in the retina.

The technology has been advanced by Srinivasan at NYU Langone and will be utilized to map the retina among patients referred by cognitive neurologists and clinicians in the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Pearl I. Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment and the Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders.¹

Commercial near-infrared (NIR), center, and visible light Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) of the same eye. Compared to commercial NIR OCT, visible light OCT achieves fivefold finer axial resolution, which improves visualization of the ganglion cell layer, inner plexiform layer, and inner nuclear layer. (Image credit: NYU Langone)

Balcer added the team is investigating important aspects of neuro-ophthalmology in this study and trying to answer 3 big questions: “How can we distinguish eyes of those with neurological disease compared to those of disease-free individuals of similar age using visible-light OCT? How can we identify these conditions by looking at retinal layers? And how can we monitor the effects of therapies?”

Balcer, who is a neuro-ophthalmologist, and career-long colleague of Steven L. Galetta, MD, the Philip K. Moskowitz, MD, Professor of Neurology and the chair of the Department of Neurology, is noted for her team's research linking changes to the eye as indicators of such neurological conditions as concussion and multiple sclerosis. She noted in the release that this research ultimately could lead to a breakthrough in adding vision exams to assess and potentially even diagnose Alzheimer or Parkinson diseases at early stages. With earlier detection of the diseases, intervention can occur sooner and patients could be enrolled sooner to participate in clinical trials aimed at develop-ing new therapies.

"This support by the NIH is further recognition of the important role that eye and vision play in not only how we experience our world, but also as a window into our cognitive and overall health," said Kathryn A. Colby, MD, PhD, the Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. "Dr. Srinivasan and Dr. Balcer are leaders in advancing the emerging science of oculomics, and it's thrilling to see this important work progress so that we might one day soon be able to slow the progression of these debilitating diseases."

NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers who are also involved in the project include Einar M. Sigurdsson, PhD; Shy Shoham, PhD; Giulietta M. Riboldi, MD, PhD; Yasha S. Modi, MD; Arjun V. Masurkar, MD, PhD; Rachel Kenney, PhD; Un J. Kang, MD; and Kevin Chuen Wing C. Chan, PhD.¹

Reference

1. NYU Langone Health. NYU Langone Awarded $1.6 Million to Investigate Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Progression Through the Eye. Prnewswire.com. Published October 2, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyu-langone-awarded-1-6-million-to-investigate-alzheimers--parkinsons-progression-through-the-eye-302265311.html