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WASHINGTON: Professor Rayaz Malik, a British-Pakistani scientist based in Qatar, says a simple AI-powered eye scan lasting just two to three minutes may soon help doctors detect dementia and diabetic nerve damage years before symptoms appear.
Professor Malik, a leading researcher in diabetic neuropathy and neurodegenerative diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, told Dawn that the technology could transform early diagnosis and treatment, particularly in countries with soaring diabetes rates such as Pakistan.
Speaking to Dawn, he explained how researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are using this technology, known as corneal confocal microscopy (CCM), to identify nerve damage years before patients begin showing symptoms.
“The cornea has the richest sensory innervation in the body,” he said, explaining why the eye offers a unique window into diseases affecting the nervous system.
