Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is on the rise, especially among children.
Experts predict that by the year 2050, myopia will affect approximately 50% of the world’s population. Researchers believe that an increase in what’s called “near work” — when we interact with close objects like phones and screens — is partially to blame.
For many people, the struggle to see faraway objects is a problem easily managed with glasses or contacts, but for others this develops into a far more serious condition called myopic maculopathy.
A team of researchers in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is developing new diagnostic tools that use the power of artificial intelligence, or AI, to more effectively screen for this disease. They have recently published the results of their work in the peer-reviewed research journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
Myopic maculopathy occurs when the part of the eye that helps us see straight ahead in sharp detail is stretched and damaged. Over time, the eye’s shape changes to become elongated — more like a football and less like a sphere. When this happens, vision is distorted.
This serious condition is the leading cause of severe vision loss or blindness. In 2015, myopic maculopathy resulted in visual impairment in 10 million people. Unless things change, more than 55 million people will have vision loss and approximately 18 million people worldwide will be blind due to the disease by 2050.
Because myopic maculopathy is irreversible, experts want to intervene early. Catching the condition as soon as possible can improve health outcomes, a particularly urgent goal when children are concerned. Ophthalmologists can prescribe special contact lenses or eye drops that slow the progression of the disease.
Yalin Wang, a Fulton Schools professor of computer science and engineering, says innovations in technology can provide important solutions.
“AI is ushering in a revolution that leverages global knowledge to improves diagnosis accuracy, especially in its earliest stage of the disease,” he says. “These advancements will reduce medical costs and improve the quality of life for entire societies.”
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