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Recent research has shown that the eyes may hold important clues to early signs of Alzheimer's disease, with changes in the retina potentially indicating cognitive decline and the onset of the disease. Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating and incurable neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Some common signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, and changes in mood or personality.
Although the exact causes, mechanisms, and signs of Alzheimer's are still not fully understood, early detection and intervention are crucial to improving outcomes and quality of life for patients and families.
Study Suggests Eyes Could Reveal Early Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist specializing in Alzheimer's prevention at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, has highlighted that researchers are investigating how the eye could aid in detecting early signs of Alzheimer's prior to the onset of symptoms. The disease has progressed significantly by the time memory and behavior are affected.
Isaacson emphasized that the signs of Alzheimer's initiate in the brain many years before the initial symptoms of memory loss.
If healthcare professionals can recognize the signs of Alzheimer's disease at its earliest stages, individuals can take preventive measures, such as leading a healthy lifestyle, and managing "modifiable risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes."
A recent research study investigated the earliest signs of cognitive decline by examining the donated tissue of the retina and brains of 86 people who had varying degrees of mental decline.
Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, a professor of neurosurgery and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, headed the research study.
The study found that changes in the retina were correlated with changes in parts of the brain responsible for memory, navigation, and perception of time, called the entorhinal and temporal cortices.
Over a period of 14 years, the investigators collected retinal and brain tissue samples from 86 human donors with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, making this the largest bunch of samples of retinals ever studied, according to the authors.
The Acta Neuropathologica journal published a study in February that involved researchers comparing tissue samples from donors with different levels of cognitive function: normal, mild cognitive impairment, and advanced Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers found a marked increase in beta-amyloid, a significant marker of Alzheimer's disease, in individuals with both Alzheimer's and early cognitive decline. The study also indicated that microglial cells, which have the responsibility of repairing and maintaining other cells and clearing beta-amyloid from the brain and retina, decreased by 80 percent in individuals experiencing cognitive difficulties.
The study's findings also indicated the presence of inflammation markers, which may be an important marker for disease progression, according to Dr. Richard Isaacson, who wasn't involved in the study.
Additionally, the changes in the retina were found in people with no or minor cognitive symptoms, implying that these new eye tests may be useful in the early detection and signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the study discovered increased numbers of immune cells surrounding amyloid beta plaques and other cells that cause inflammation and tissue death.
The study indicated that the cognitive status was best indicated by tissue atrophy and inflammation in cells located in the far periphery of the retina. Dr. Richard Isaacson commented that these findings may ultimately lead to the creation of imaging techniques that enable the earlier and more accurate diagnosis ans signs of Alzheimer's disease and the non-invasive monitoring of its progression by examining the eye.
While there's no guaranteed way to prevent alzheimer's, a healthy lifestyle with exercise, a balanced diet, mental stimulation, and social engagement may help reduce the risk.
