Retinal Hyperspectral Imaging in Neurodegenerative Diseases

NCT07545473 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 166/21
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 930
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Hyperspectral retinal imaging is a non-invasive imaging modality in which a series of images of the retina are captured using light of different wavelengths. The resulting "hypercube" of data provides a wealth of information about the retinal structure. Our group has developed evidence supporting a role for this technology in the detection of retinal amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease. We are undertaking further studies to establish the role of this method in the assessment of people with dementia, or those at risk of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we wish to test whether the approach may have value in other forms of dementia or neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy-Body dementia or vascular dementia.

Conditions

Dementia; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Alzheimer Disease; Parkinson Disease; Frontotemporal Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Lewy Body Disease; Niemann-Pick Diseases

Keywords

Hyperspectral imaging; Retina

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Diagnostic classification of neurodegenerative diseases using hyperspectral retinal imaging

  Evaluation of whether hyperspectral retinal imaging-derived biomarkers can distinguish between diagnostic groups including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and cognitively healthy controls. Diagnostic performance will be assessed using AI-based classification outputs, including sensitivity, specificity, classification accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

  During study visit (baseline data collection); analyses performed after completion of participant recruitment and imaging dataset acquisition

Study Arms (1)

Hyperspectral camera

EXPERIMENTAL

Hyperspectral imaging is performed with the Metabolic Hyperspectral Retinal Camera (Optina Diagnostic, Montreal, Canada) and a prototype camera developed by researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA). The Metabolic Hyperspectral Retinal Camera is similar to a typical fundus imager but it incorporates a tunable light source which is able to transmit safe light levels within a wavelength range covering the visible to near infrared with a narrow bandwidth (\< 3nm). This instrument is capable of imaging a 26° field-of-view of retina at 90 wavelengths in less than a second, thus minimizing discomfort and limiting the influence of eye movements. The hyperspectral camera developed by CERA researchers is a non-mydriatic fundus camera that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) and an optical variable bandpass filter to tune the illumination wavelengths.

Device: Hyperspectral camera

Interventions

Hyperspectral camera DEVICE

Hyperspectral imaging is performed with the Metabolic Hyperspectral Retinal Camera (Optina Diagnostic, Montreal, Canada) and a prototype camera developed by researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA). The Metabolic Hyperspectral Retinal Camera is similar to a typical fundus imager but it incorporates a tunable light source which is able to transmit safe light levels within a wavelength range covering the visible to near infrared with a narrow bandwidth (\< 3nm). This instrument is capable of imaging a 26° field-of-view of retina at 90 wavelengths in less than a second, thus minimizing discomfort and limiting the influence of eye movements. The hyperspectral camera developed by CERA researchers is a non-mydriatic fundus camera that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) and an optical variable bandpass filter to tune the illumination wavelengths.

Hyperspectral camera

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 30 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged over 30 years.
• Have dementia or a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, Niemann-Pick type 2 or vascular dementia (age-matched and sex-matched controls will also be recruited).
• With the exception of participants with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body disease, for whom clinical examination by a neurologist is sufficient to establish a clinical diagnosis of probable dementia with Lewy Body or probable Parkinson disease dementia, all participants must have previously undergone at least of one of the following tests to help to confirm a clinical diagnosis of dementia or neurodegenerative disease: genetic tests, blood biomarker tests (amyloid, tau, neurofilament light), a brain amyloid beta PET scan, or cerebrospinal fluid tests.
• Have a minimum best corrected visual acuity level of 6/60 in both eyes and no major eye problems, such as advanced age-related macular degeneration, advanced glaucoma, or greater than moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
• Be willing to participate in the study and attend the Centre for Eye Research Australia.
• Be accompanied by a friend or family member.

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to provide informed consent
• Ocular conditions preventing adequate retinal imaging (e.g., dense cataract, severe corneal opacity, vitreous haemorrhage)
• Known contraindication to pharmacological pupil dilation
• Any condition that, in the investigator's opinion, would compromise participant safety or image quality

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Center for Eye Research Australia: lead

Study Sites (1)

The Centre for Eye Research Australia

Melbourne, Victoria, 3002, Australia

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dementia; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Alzheimer Disease; Parkinson Disease; Frontotemporal Dementia; Dementia, Vascular; Lewy Body Disease; Niemann-Pick Diseases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders; Tauopathies; Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration; TDP-43 Proteinopathies; Proteostasis Deficiencies; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis; Intracranial Arterial Diseases; Leukoencephalopathies; Arteriosclerosis; Arterial Occlusive Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Sphingolipidoses; Lysosomal Storage Diseases, Nervous System; Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn; Brain Diseases, Metabolic; Histiocytosis, Non-Langerhans-Cell; Histiocytosis; Lymphatic Diseases; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases; Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Lipidoses; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Lysosomal Storage Diseases; Lipid Metabolism Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Darvy Dang

CONTACT

+61 3 9959 0102; darvy.dang@unimelb.edu.au

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 8, 2026
• First Posted: April 22, 2026
• Study Start: October 11, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Last Updated: April 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

AU (1)