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Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
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Retinal Amyloid Imaging for Screening Alzheimer's Disease
Koh Tadokoro1, Toru Yamashita1, Shuhei Kimura2
1Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan.
Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|August 9, 2021
Summary
Noninvasive in vivo imaging of retinal amyloid can help screen for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This method detected greater amyloid deposition in AD patients compared to controls, suggesting its diagnostic utility.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Effective screening for Alzheimer's disease (AD) requires cost-effective, noninvasive in vivo imaging methods for amyloid deposition.
- Retinal amyloid is a potential diagnostic marker for AD, but in vivo imaging studies are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of in vivo retinal amyloid imaging for diagnosing AD patients.
Main Methods:
- Thirty Japanese subjects (10 normal controls, 7 mild cognitive impairment, 13 AD) underwent ophthalmic examination.
- Fundus imaging using scanning laser ophthalmoscopy was performed before and after oral curcumin intake to assess amyloid deposition.
Main Results:
- Retinal amyloid deposition was significantly higher in AD patients compared to normal controls (p < 0.05).
- Mild cognitive impairment subjects showed a non-significant increase in retinal amyloid deposition.
- Retinal amyloid deposition correlated with whole gray matter atrophy (r = 0.51, p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Noninvasive in vivo detection of retinal amyloid deposition is a valuable tool for screening Alzheimer's disease patients.
