Up until now, the only tests
physicians had to actually diagnose Alzheimer’s disease were PET scans and
lumbar punctures but these tests are both expensive and invasive. This is why many doctors make their diagnosis
of the disease based on observing symptoms and ruling out other causes.
However researchers now think there
could be another option with the development of an optical imaging system that
can detect a hallmark of the disease.
Medical News Today writes that the “non- invasive, high-resolution
imaging technique was able to detect beta-amyloid plaques in the retinas of
patients with Alzheimer's disease.” The
findings indicate that the retinal imaging technique was able to identify a
4.7-times greater abundance of beta-amyloid plaques in the retinas of patients
with Alzheimer's disease as compared with the retinas of
the controls. The small study was first reported in the JCI Insight
journal.
Another study out of Washington
University in St. Louis had similar results but researchers caution that both
studies are from a very small group of people.
Nonetheless it shows that retinal imaging may be a feasible, low-cost
screening technique to detect Alzheimer’s in the future. Furthermore, while there is no cure for the
disease, scientists say early detection could lead to individuals being treated
much earlier and could help to prevent some of the damage done by the disease.
Early signs of Alzheimer’s include
memory loss that impedes one’s ability to manage daily activities such as
forgetting recently learned information, repeatedly asking for the same
information, and forgetting important events or dates. Other signs are having difficulty
problem-solving and completing every-day tasks, confusion with time and place,
and vision and spatial problems. Consult
with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the early signs of
the disease. Your doctor will rule out
other problems that may be causing your symptoms.
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Sources: medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319112.php
newsweek.com/alzheimers-disease-could-be-diagnosed-eye-test-research-suggests-1088892
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