As early as middle age, the eyes could reveal who will develop Alzheimer’s many decades later.
In fact, a study published in the journal Jama Opthalmology suggests that a photo of the retina as early as 45 can predict who will suffer from the most common form of dementia. The promise is due to experts from the University of Otaga.
“In the near future – explained the author of the work Ashleigh Barrett-Young – it is hoped that with the use of artificial intelligence we will be able to read an image of an individual’s retina and determine if this person is at risk of Alzheimer’s. , long before the first symptoms of dementia appear, and therefore when there is still the possibility of a therapy to mitigate the dementia, slow down its onset “.
In the past, several studies have shown that the state of health of the retina of an elderly person is the mirror of the health of his brain; but in old age the brain has often already suffered several insults and dementia or at least cognitive decline are now irreversible processes. An eye exam in middle-aged individuals, that is, many decades before the eventual onset of dementia, could have a different value.
The experts compared the cognitive health status of 865 45-year-old individuals with the characteristics of their retina, in particular the base of the retina, the one that connects to the optic nerve endings. A healthy retina was found to be associated with better cognitive performance. On the contrary, the thinning of the retina is associated with worse cognitive performance already at 45 years of age.
More studies will now be needed to determine if midlife thinning of the retina is truly predictive of Alzheimer’s. “In the future – the author reiterated – these results could lead to the use of artificial intelligence to interpret an optical tomography made by an ophthalmologist together with other clinical data of the patient to determine the risk of developing Alzheimer’s” many years before the onset of the disease. (HANDLE).
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