Results from two studies show that a new, non-invasive imaging device can see signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a matter of seconds.
Results from two studies show that a new, non-invasive imaging device can see signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a matter of seconds. The researchers show that the small blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye are altered in patients with Alzheimer’s. . Results from these studies have been presented at Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. A new kind of precise and non-invasive imaging called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has assisted much of the recent research on the eye’s connection with Alzheimer’s. Because the retina is connected to the brain by way of the optic nerve, researchers believe that the deterioration in the retina and its blood vessels may mirror the changes going on in the blood vessels and structures in the brain, thereby offering a window into the disease process. The goal of this latest research is to find a quick, inexpensive way to detect Alzheimer’s at the earliest signs. Researchers at Duke University found that the Alzheimer’s group had loss of small retinal blood vessels at the back of the eye and that a specific layer of the retina was thinner.
