Detecting Alzheimer’s disease, and in particular its early manifestations, could be done through an examination of the retina. A hope to help patients.
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that affects 900,000 French people. It influences the behavior and autonomy of patients. The disease can be heavy to live with, especially for the relatives of those affected. It mostly affects people over 65, but can happen to much younger people. The earlier the warning signs are detected, the easier it is to slow down the progression of symptoms and adapt one’s lifestyle.
However, tests give hope as to a possible detection further upstream of the disease. Indeed, we could detect the disease very early thanks to a retinal examination. How exactly? In analyzing the presence of amyloid plaques, which are aggregates forming around neurons, preventing them from functioning properly.
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Analyze the retina to detect Alzheimer’s
It turns out that these plaques are more numerous in the retina of people with Alzheimer’s. Researchers at the University of San Diego School of Medicine in California also found that neuronal loss in the retinas is correlated with that seen in the brain. The study included only 8 volunteers, so it remains premature to draw conclusions at this stage.
However, the method is attractive, and if clinical trials validate it, it could be a Alzheimer’s disease detection protocol in individuals who do not show signs of the disease but have genetic predispositions.