Visual Features in Alzheimer's Disease: From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Overview

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia globally.
• Current diagnostic methods often identify AD at advanced stages, limiting therapeutic efficacy.
• Existing biomarkers for AD are frequently invasive, costly, or insufficient for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the functional and morphological changes in the retina and visual pathway associated with Alzheimer's disease.
• To explore the potential of ophthalmological examinations as an early, accessible diagnostic tool for AD.
• To correlate pathophysiological hallmarks of AD with observable changes in the visual system.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on Alzheimer's disease, neurodegeneration, and visual system pathology.
• Analysis of pathophysiological mechanisms of AD, including amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau pathology, and neuroinflammation.
• Examination of functional and morphological alterations in the retina and visual pathways in AD patients and at-risk individuals.

Main Results:

• Shared pathophysiological pathways between the central nervous system and the visual system suggest early AD-related changes in the retina.
• Amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and neuroinflammation characteristic of AD may manifest in retinal structures.
• Ophthalmological findings could serve as indicators of disease progression and severity in AD.

Conclusions:

• The retina and visual pathway offer a promising avenue for early AD detection due to shared neurobiological mechanisms.
• Ophthalmological examinations represent a less invasive and potentially more cost-effective alternative to current AD biomarkers.
• Further research into retinal biomarkers could significantly improve early diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease.