Simple Eye Test may Help Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease

A simple eye test may be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, say scientists. This follows previous findings that a toxic protein, that builds up in the brains of dementia patients causing confusion and memory loss also accumulates in the eyes, the Daily Express reported.

Now they have found that not only are dementia and cataracts linked, but that Alzheimer's may be triggered from outside the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Stages, Types, Prevention, Prognosis & Treatment
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

The revolutionary findings by the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health in Massachusetts has paved the way for an opticians' eye test to detect the degenerative disease early.

For the findings, the researchers looked at brain scans a decade on from original eye examinations.

They concluded that there was a link between cortical cataracts - the most common form - and Alzheimer's-related measures of brain degeneration.

Routine Eye Examination - Visual acuity
A visual acuity test is a measure of the sharpness and clarity of an individual’s vision. He is made to read a standard chart from a distance of 6m. The last line read gives the visual acuity.

The researchers then looked at nearly 190,000 DNA sequence variations.

The protein deltacatenin appeared to be particularly important and further research found that there was increased deposits of it in lens tissue in people who had Alzheimer's - but not from those who didn't.

Caring for Alzheimers disease patients
Alzheimer's disease is a complex brain disorder that triggers the most common form of dementia. The slide show will show how patients need support and care as dementia progresses.

This suggested that both diseases could have the same origin.

"This study gives hope we are moving toward earlier diagnosis and new treatment targets for this debilitating disease," Professor Lindsay Farrer, from the Boston team, said.

Know Your Eye Test Rights
A recent poll conducted by health insurance provider Simplyhealth found that 40 per cent of employees simply do not know about their right to claim free eyesight check-up.

"This study highlights some interesting avenues for further investigation." Jessica Smith, from the Alzheimer's Society, said.

The findings have been published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Source-ANI