Dementia eye scans on the cards
Testing for dementia years before any symptoms show could soon be as easy as having an eye scan.
Developments in eye imaging technology used to detect dementia are being outlined today by American and Australian dementia researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease International conference in Perth.
Trials suggest eye imaging could detect Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia up to 20 years before symptoms appear.
Retinal specialist and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Duke University Medical Centre Eleonora Lad said early detection was vital but there were few reliable methods to detect the early signs.
"It is becoming more evident if we can treat dementia early, before symptoms occur and too much damage is caused, the progress of the condition can be stalled," Dr Lad said.
"Because the retina is an extension of the brain, retinal changes may mirror the changes that occur in the brain with dementia.
"It has long been recognised that people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease experience abnormalities in vision, perception of colour, motion and peripheral vision.
Software was able to make correlations between eye layer thickness and other structural changes, and the likelihood of a person developing Alzheimer's disease.
In Australia, researcher Mojtaba Golzan from Macquarie University is carrying out similar experimental research, which will also be presented at the conference.
