O Alzheimer's It is a neurodegenerative disease in which brain cells die, impairing memory and cognition. Recently, scientists discovered that it is possible, through the patient's eyes, to detect early signs of Alzheimer's. The new discovery will help in the earlier diagnosis of the disease and, consequently, better treatment.
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A line of research investigating the possibility of diagnosing Alzheimer's from an eye exam. According to this hypothesis, it would be possible to detect the first signs of Alzheimer's before the cognitive manifestation of the disease, such as memory and behavior problems.
According to ophthalmologist Dr. Christine Greer, director of medical education at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, "the eyes are the window to the brain." She adds: "You can directly see the nervous system just by looking at the back of a person's eye, towards the optic nerve and retina."
The Doctor. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist who specializes in Alzheimer's, "Alzheimer's begins in the brain decades before the first symptoms of memory loss." Therefore, the importance of an early diagnosis is evident, so that the patient receives the best treatment from an early age.
One study analyzed 88 retinal tissue samples donated by patients with varying degrees of cognitive degeneration. Then, the samples were compared with retinal tissue from healthy patients. As a result, they found a significant increase in beta-amyloid, a marker of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's.
Another discovery was the reduction of microglia cells in these tissues, responsible for the repair and maintenance of other cells and the removal of beta-amyloid. In addition, inflammatory markers were also found in the tissues of these patients, which indicate the progression of the disease.
ANow, with the preliminary results of this study, it will be possible to investigate Alzheimer's from a new perspective. If there are cases of Alzheimer's in the family, the doctor may order an eye exam to diagnose early the development of the disease in a patient. These discoveries will lead to the development of imaging techniques that will allow diagnosing Alzheimer's more accurately and in less time.