British researchers have developed a simple eye test that could spot Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear. The test, which could be given by an optician, would allow treatment to begin immediately, giving hope of stopping and even reversing the dreaded disease.
The test uses eye drops containing a fluorescent dye followed by a photo taken with an infra-red camera. Dying nerve cells in the retina absorb the dye and show up as green dots.
"Few people realize that the retina is a direct, albeit thin, extension of the brain," lead author Professor Francesca Cordeiro of the University College London, said in a statement.
"It's entirely possible that in the future, a visit to a optician to check on your eyesight will also be a check on the state of your brain," she said.
One of the problems of treating Alzheimer's is that a definitive diagnosis often comes late in the course of the disease. A test to spot it early could revolutionize treatment.
"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," Cordeiro said. "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. This could be critically important since identification of the early stages could lead to successful reversal of the disease progression with treatment."
The equipment needed to perform the new test is inexpensive, non-invasive, and is basically the same used in hospitals and clinics worldwide.
"These findings have the potential to transform the way we diagnose Alzheimer's, greatly enhancing efforts to develop new treatments and cures," Rebecca Wood, of the U.K.'s Alzheimer's Research Trust, told BBC News.
"If we spot Alzheimer's in its earliest stages, we may be able to treat and reverse the progression of the disease as new treatments are developed."
Human trials of the technique are underway, and the test could be available within two years.
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