Alzheimer's link in eye scans

Basic eye and smell tests could be used to identify dementia years before people experience memory symptoms, research has suggested.

In a trial of more than 33,000 participants, researchers at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology have found a link between the thinning of the retinal nerve and poor cognitive ability, an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s.

Participants underwent a series of tests on memory, reaction time and reasoning. Researchers then compared results with measurements taken from optical coherence topography scans (OCT) which measures the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer at the back of the eye.

Dr Clare Walton, research manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Changes in the brain associated with dementia can begin several years before any memory symptoms appear. This research suggests that some of these changes happen in the retina of the eye too, which could give us a relatively easy, non-invasive way to spot them early.

“Eye tests are fairly common for older people, so there is great potential to incorporate additional tests into their regular check-up. These tests could help to identify people at risk of dementia who would benefit from further investigation but will not become a primary way to diagnosis the condition.”