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Friday, January 15, 2010 (16:41:20) |
| Tags : Eye, Alzheimer's, Brain |
An eye test could help in detecting Alzheimer's |
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| London: A simple yet low cost eye test could help detect and diagnose Alzheimer's early on than is currently possible, says a new study.
The research demonstrates a new technique that enables retinal, and therefore brain cell death, to be directly measured in real time.
The method, tried out in an animal model, could not only refine diagnosis of neuro-degenerative disorders and help track disease progress; it could also help assess and develop new treatments.
The technique uses fluorescent markers that attach themselves to the relevant cells and indicate the stage of cell death.
The retina is then observed using a customised laser ophthalmoscope. Until now, this kind of technique has only been used in cells in the lab, rather than in live animals.
This research is therefore the first ever in vivo demonstration of retinal nerve cell death in Alzheimer's Disease.
"The death of nerve cells is the key event in all neurodegenerative disorders -- but until now it has not been possible to study cell death in real time," said researchers.
"This technique means we should be able to directly observe retinal nerve cell death in patients, which has a number of advantages in terms of effective diagnosis," they said.
Although this paper outlines the technique in animal models (rats and mice), the researchers are further along with work using the same technique to detect and assess glaucoma, and will be conducting their first patient trials later this year. (IANS) |
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