An eye test could potentially be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Paris.
The study’s preliminary results are part of a large search aimed at detecting the disease before the memory problems begin.
"I don't think we can wait until people develop Alzheimer's disease or mild Alzheimer's. I think we need to act before that," said Dr. William Klunk of the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, as quoted by Reuters.
In the new research, Shaun Frost, a researcher from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia's national science agency, analyzed data to see whether changes in the retina at the back of the eye could be used to detect early Alzheimer's disease. Results revealed that the width of certain blood vessels were significantly different in people with early signs of Alzheimer's disease compared with healthy people.
"These findings are indicating a relationship between changes in the retina and the plaque burden in the brain," Frost said, according to Reuters. He says retina tests may be able to detect Alzheimer’s early.
While there are no treatments yet that can prevent or delay the disease, researchers say knowing how to diagnose Alzheimer's early will be important when new drugs are available.
