Simple eye test may diagnosis early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

One of the main barriers to proper treatment of Alzheimer's disease is the relatively late diagnosis. By the time doctors arrive at a diagnosis, it is almost too late to do anything. Now researchers at the University College London (UCL) have developed a method that can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease early by using a simple eye test.
The new technique enables real-time monitoring of retinal and brain cell death; thus enabling doctors to diagnose neurodegenerative disorders. In this way, the progress of such disorders can also be tracked and interventional measures can be adopted in time.

"Few people realise that the retina is a direct, albeit thin, extension of the brain. It is entirely possible that in the future, a visit to a high-street optician to check on your eyesight will also be a check on the state of your brain,” said lead author Professor Francesca Cordeiro.

The new test introduces fluorescent markers into the body and tracks their progress. These markers attach themselves to dying nerve cells. The markers appear as dots on images taken from an infra-red camera. Professors Francesca Cordeiro and Stephen Moss said that if there are more than 10 such dots in one image, then it is suggestive of the early onset of Alzheimer's disease.

“Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's is critical in order to stop and reverse the cell death before it is too late. Once brains cells are dead there is no way to revive them. If you catch Alzheimer's Disease early enough you can slow it down and even reinvigorate the cells,” Professor Cordeiro stressed.

The details of the research appear in the journal Cell Death & Disease.

The 2009 World Alzheimer Report from Alzheimer's Disease International is predicting that 35.6 million people around the world will be affected by dementia and Alzheimer's disease by the end of next year.

This figure is expected to double each year and is predicted to hit 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050. The report released on September 21 analyzed 147 studies from 21 areas globally and found the prevalence of dementia to be increasing almost everywhere. However the largest increases were seen in Western Europe, South Asia and Latin America.

The cost for treating dementia and related conditions is estimated to be a staggering $315 billion annually. One of the worst effects of progressive Alzheimer's disease is the irreversible loss of memory; sometimes causing sufferers and their carers unbearable distress. The problem is most cases of dementia are diagnosed too late for medical professionals to do anything about the condition.

If the above test, which was successful ion animal trials, is replicated in human trials, then early diagnosis may indeed be possible.

source: newslocale.org