Oculomics: Beyond the Buzzword

Joseph J. Pizzimenti, OD, FAAO, FORS, discusses the capabilities of oculomics in retina and neuro-ophthalmology,

To explore the concept of oculomics and its implications for assessing systemic health through ocular biomarkers.

Ocular examination allows direct, simultaneous, noninvasive viewing of neurologic and vascular tissues.
Biomarkers like retinal thickness and vessel changes are associated with systemic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Multimodal imaging enhances understanding of retinal structure-function relationships.
Neuro-ophthalmic manifestations can indicate systemic diseases, including hypertension and multiple sclerosis.
OCT findings can reveal significant changes in patients with diabetes and other systemic conditions.

Barriers to implementation include standardization across OCT platforms and data privacy issues.
Variability in image quality and technical differences between devices affect retinal measurements.