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Eyesight & Early Signs of Alzheimer's

University College London researchers recently reported a breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, linking the retina with the brain and suggesting that damage to cells in the retina mimics the degeneration of brain cells. Examining the condition of retina cells can potentially predict the onset of Alzheimer's.

  1. What Is Alzheimer's Disease?

    • Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible degeneration of the brain as it loses neurons. It causes steadily increasing glitches in the ability to reason and function. Nearly 50 percent of individuals older than 85 years suffer from Alzheimer's disease, according to MedicineNet.com.

    Early Signs

    • Signs of Alzheimer's begin gradually. Most of our elderly are going to forget something on occasion, but if it's something that was once vital to his life, that might be Alzheimer's. Other clues include the inability to remember things that happened yesterday while still having perfect recall of something that occurred 20 years ago. He might show an increasing inability to finish tasks or to identify objects.

    Behavioral Changes

    • Behavioral changes are also common. Reclusive personalities may become more outgoing, or vice versa. But by the time this occurs, the disease is advancing. The procedure being developed by University College London has the potential to stop Alzheimer's before it gets to this point. Studies have shown that cell degeneration can begin as many as 20 years before symptoms of Alzheimer's manifest.

    How Eyesight Can Affect Alzheimer's Disease

    • Alzheimer's patients can be susceptible to hallucinatory spells, often including visual images. When vision in the elderly deteriorates, it challenges an already confused mind to identify what it is seeing.

    University College London Study

    • At present, definitive proof of Alzheimer's comes only in the event of an autopsy. The new test developed by University College London proposes that simple, noninvasive equipment currently in use for eye exams has the potential to provide an early diagnosis, giving patients an opportunity to begin treatment sooner and prolong mental faculties. So far it's been tested only on lab animals, but human trials will begin soon.

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