Scientists at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles studied the eyes and brain tissue of 86 deceased people diagnosed with cognitive impairment. During the study, it was possible to find features that allow diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages – before the appearance of obvious symptoms, writes Fox News.
The retina was found to have excessive amounts of beta-amyloid 42, a protein that forms “plaques” that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Also in the samples were cells of the nervous system called microglia – they also appear in the development of dementia.
“Our results could help develop imaging techniques that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease even earlier and more accurately, and monitor its progression non-invasively by examining the patient’s eyes,” said Maya Coronio-Hamaui, lead author of the study.
