engleski

Non-invasive retinal biomarkers for early diagnosis of dementia

Dementia including Alzheimer’s disease represents an increasing health problem worldwide and due to its rapid rise in prevalence may have significant social and economic implications. Currently used diagnostic tools including magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography, positron emission tomography imaging and biomarker detection in cerebrospinal fluid are invasive and expensive methods. Thus, finding measureable, non-invasive biomarkers that enable effective screening and early diagnosis of dementia should be considered as an important area of ongoing clinical research. One of the promising approaches for timely diagnosis of dementia is retinal imaging. The retina is regarded as an extension of the central nervous system and therefore provides an opportunity to analyse the brain structure and function. The eye and the brain share the same embryologic origins, similar vascular systems and immunologic functions, allowing us to evaluate processes in the brain through the eye in a non- invasive manner. The current findings support the fact that retinal changes, particularly in the retinal neuronal structure and vasculature may be a reflection of cerebral cellular and vascular changes. This implicates the potential role of retinal changes as biomarkers for early diagnosis of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. By the time dementia becomes diagnosed clinically, neuronal loss has already occurred in many brain and retinal regions. Thus, the availability of early and reliable diagnostic markers of the disease would enable timely detection and implementation of preventative measures to avoid neuronal loss. Retinal imaging methods including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography as non-invasive and relatively affordable screening techniques may provide an opportunity for research and clinical interventions. Thus understanding the mechanisms of retinal disease associated with aging will extend our knowledge pertaining to dementia enabling improvements in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment outcomes.

dementia ; Alzheimer’s disease ; retinal biomarkers ; OCT ; OCT angiogrphy

nije evidentirano