Yes, it’s true – researchers from the Duke Eye Center in San Francisco have shown that a new, non-invasive imaging device can see signs of Alzheimer’s in a matter of seconds.
Using a technique called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), researchers compared the retinas of 39 Alzheimer’s patients with those of 133 cognitively healthy people.
They found that the small blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye are visibly altered in Alzheimer’s patients and that one layer of the retina was thinner than in healthy participants.
The new tool could mean a higher chance for early Alzheimer’s diagnosis – providing thousands of families with time to plan for the future.
Right now there is no cure for the disease, and traditional detection techniques such as brain scans, memory tests and behavioural observation often don’t detect Alzheimer’s until a case is quite advanced.
With over 340,000 Australians living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, this is a very welcome development.
Discussion1 Comment
Concerning the Alzheimer’s detection eye test, is there currently any treatment that slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease?
Thank you
Rita Daly