The Centre Hospitalier de Wallonie Picarde in Tournai has become the first hospital in Belgium to deploy Neuroclues, an infrared imaging technology capable of analysing eye movements with high precision in order to detect neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's.
Described by some experts as "a stethoscope for the brain", the tool offers a new way to screen for and assess diseases such as Parkinson's by objectively and quantitatively capturing eye movements, including saccades and anti-saccades, which are too subtle to be seen with the naked eye.
These micro-movements provide valuable information on brain circuits involved in multiple neurodegenerative conditions, neurologist Thibault Warlop said.
Neuroclues could help distinguish between different Parkinsonian syndromes, which can be hard to identify in the early stages, by using eye-movement data to differentiate clinically similar conditions, Dr Warlop explained.
The neurologist also highlighted the tool's predictive potential. In Parkinson's, gait problems such as "freezing" can be anticipated several years before onset, helping clinicians to adapt treatment earlier and refer patients sooner for targeted physiotherapy.
