Sunday, July 17th, 2011

... Researchers from Australia have presented preliminary data in Paris, France at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference that shows a cheap and simple eye test could help in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia...

... The retinal scans were used to measure both arterial and venous diameters and then calculate the arterio-venous ratio (AVR). The preliminary results have shown that the AVR correlated with beta amyloid plaque burden in the brain as determined by PET imaging studies of the participants. The differences in the AVRs are primarily due to retinal venous thickness which becomes thinner in Alzheimer’s dementia with an indirect correlation with the beta amyloid plaque burden in the brain. Of particular importance was the fact that even in cognitively normal participants, the AVR correlated with beta amyloid plaque burden in the brain. This implies that this simple and cheap eye test can identify individuals who have beta amyloid plaque in the brain before the onset of cognitive deficits. This inexpensive and noninvasive test would not be a definitive, stand alone diagnostic procedure but could be used for screening patients before employing more expensive and complex diagnostic modalities.

Read more: http://drsamgirgis.com/tag/eye-test/#ixzz1...

... Earlier work by Dr. Lee Goldstein of Boston University showed that amyloid, the protein that makes up Alzheimer's brain plaque, can be measured in the lens of the eyes of some people with the disease, particularly Down syndrome patients who often are prone to Alzheimer's.

A company he holds stock in, Neuroptix, is testing a laser eye scanner to measure amyloid in the eyes. Goldstein praised the work by the Australian scientists. "It's a small study" but "suggestive and encouraging," he said. "My hat's off to them for looking outside the brain for other areas where we might see other evidence of this disease."

Eye doctors often are the first to see patients with signs of Alzheimer's, which can start with vision changes, not just the memory problems the disease is most known for, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, a Mayo Clinic dementia expert with no role in the new studies...

/... http://www.mail.com/int/scitech/health/566...