Diagnosis by retina
Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed by scanning the retina
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
A number of studies suggest that certain signs of visual impairment may indicate a neurodegenerative disorder. American and Israeli ophthalmologists have found confirmation of this hypothesis.
The evidence was presented at the annual conference of the American Association of Ophthalmology by two independent research groups, says the press release Evidence Mounts That an Eye Scan May Detect Early Alzheimer's Disease.
The first, which included specialists from Duke University, reported on a study conducted using a relatively new technology – optical coherence tomography-angiography (OKTA), which allows doctors to quickly create three-dimensional high-quality images of blood flow inside the eye. With its help, scientists studied the changes that Alzheimer's disease causes in the retina and compared the results of a study of healthy patients with patients, as well as with those who have already begun to show the first signs of senile cognitive decline.
The comparison revealed several markers present in Alzheimer's patients, including thinning of the retinal layer and a decrease in the number of blood vessels.
It is important that these changes were not observed in the group with a slight deterioration in cognitive abilities caused by age. This means that the method can be used to distinguish the early stages of Alzheimer's from the usual senile decline in mental activity.
The second study was presented by specialists of the Medical Center. Chaim Shiba, who studied patients with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease without showing symptoms. In this case, a significant thinning of the retina was also found, which scientists were able to associate with a decrease in the size of the hippocampus. Israeli scientists have also concluded that this sign can become an effective biomarker of Alzheimer's disease before the other symptoms manifest.
The neural network also learned to predict the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease five years before the first symptoms appeared. The algorithm studies the MRI data, genetic characteristics and clinical data of the patient and determines the likelihood of a neurodegenerative disorder.
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