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Two new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago suggest that a non-invasive eye scanner could quickly detect Alzheimer's disease.
»RELATED: The United States with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Must Double by 2060
For the first study, researchers at Duke University used an imaging technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) to compare the retinas of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, patients with mild cognitive impairment and healthy people.
OCTA has already been used to study the effects of dementia on the retina, allowing ophthalmologists to study the veins and red blood cells at the back of the eye.
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They discovered that people with Alzheimer's disease had "a loss of small retinal vessels at the back of the eye and that a specific layer of the retina was thinner" , while scans of those with even mild cognitive impairment did not show such changes, wrote the authors of the study. in a press release. Such changes in the retina may indicate signs of disturbances in the blood vessels of the brain that are commonly found in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
"This project meets a huge unmet need," said Sharon Fekrat, co-head of the study. "It is not possible for current techniques such as brain scan or lumbar puncture (lumbar puncture) to track the number of patients with this disease. Almost everyone has a family member or extended family affected by Alzheimer's disease. We need to detect the disease sooner and introduce treatments earlier. "
»RELATED: Death of the United States of Alzheimer's up 55%, according to the CDC
In the second Sheba Medical Center study in Israel, researchers examined 400 people genetically predisposed to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
After comparing their brain scans and their retinal images to patients without high genetic risk of disease, they found that the retina was thinner and the hippocampus smaller in those with a family history. As in the first study, such changes may indicate signs of dementia.
Ygal Rotenstreich, author of the second study, echoed Fekrat's statements.
"A brain scan can detect Alzheimer's disease when the disease goes well beyond the treatment phase," he said. "We need a treatment intervention sooner. These patients are at such risk. "
»RELATED: How does Alzheimer's disease kill you?
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, the death rate from the disease has increased by 55% in recent decades, according to the CDC. And in Georgia, the number of Alzheimer's deaths has increased by 201% since 2000, according to Georgia Health News.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta, recently revealed that the burden of Alzheimer's disease and associated dementia in the country will double by 2060.
In 2014, 5 million Americans – or 1.6% of the population – felt the burden of disease. This figure is expected to reach 13.9 million, or nearly 3.3% of the projected population in 2060.
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