Developing retinal biomarkers of neurological disease: an analytical perspective

Ian JC MacCormick, Gabriela Czanner, Brian Faragher
2015 Biomarkers in Medicine  
The inaccessibility of the brain poses a problem for neuroscience. Scientists have traditionally responded by developing biomarkers for brain physiology and disease. The retina is an attractive source of biomarkers since it shares many features with the brain. Some even describe the retina as a 'window' to the brain, implying that retinal signs are analogous to brain disease features. However, new analytical methods are needed to show whether or not retinal signs really are equivalent to brain
more » ... bnormalities, since this requires greater evidence than direct associations between retina and brain. We, therefore propose a new way to think about, and test, how clearly one might see the brain through the retinal window, using cerebral malaria as a case study.
doi:10.2217/bmm.15.17 pmid:26174843 pmcid:PMC4822679 fatcat:6jcywmid7replceer5fcbosbtu