This virtual seminar on Looking Into the Eyes to Understand the Brain will be presented by Dr. Paul Constable, PhD, BSc (Optom), Cert Ocular Therapuetics.
Dr. Constable joins us from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Caring Future Institute, Flinders University, Australia.
ABSTRACT The retina is a part of the central nervous system sharing a similar array of excitatory and inhibitor neurotransmitters. Therefore, evaluation of retinal function can provide insights into CNS pathology. Early studies identified that the electroretinogram, b-wave was reduced in Parkinson’s disease owing to reduced dopamine levels. Since then, differences in the ERG waveform have been found in a range of neurological conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Whilst the amplitudes and time to peak of the ERG waveform provide information about group differences, the application of signal analysis methods to the ERG waveform has enhanced our ability to classify neurological conditions based on signatures in the time-frequency domain. This seminar will give some background to the early studies primarily in autism and our current and future work involving analysis of the ERG waveform, to classify neurodevelopmental disorders.
BIOGRAPHY Dr. Constable developed an interest in visual function in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and studied visual search and motion perception in ASD adults following the completion of his PhD in London. These studies led to exploring the Electroretinogram in adults with a diagnosis of ASD and more recently Dr. Constable led an international collaboration between UCL and Yale Universities to characterise the ERG findings in children with ASD. Current research is now focused on investigating if the ERG waveform can be used as a biological marker to classify not only individuals with ASD but other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Language delay, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Social communication disorder. In collaboration with the University of Connecticut we are exploring machine learning models that may help classify neurodevelopmental disorders based on a biological signal that is linked to a generic phenotype. My other research interests include the clinical application of the electro-oculogram and retinal pigment epithelium physiology.
If you would like to join this virtual seminar, please contact either Natalie Hutchings, Trefford Simpson, or Vivian Choh.