New eye test at the optician could detect early signs of dementia

Can an eye test point to dementia?

Unfortunately, more and more people suffer from dementia today. Physicians are looking for ways to diagnose the disease effectively and early. Researchers have now found that a simple eye test that can be performed by optometrists can predict the risk of developing dementia.

The researchers from University College London found in their current research that an eye test can determine the likelihood of dementia. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "JAMA Neurology".

An eye test is usually used to diagnose eye disorders. Physicians have found that a special eye test can also give indications of the first signs of dementia. (Image: Adam Gregor / fotolia.com)

What was the eye test originally designed for?

The eye test is usually performed to detect early signs of eye disease by analyzing the tissue in the back of the eye (retina). The scientists have now found that people with thinner retina tend to have memory and reasoning problems. The researchers believe that the test could be used for the early detection of dementia

32,000 participants were examined for the study

In the study, parts of the retina and in particular the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in 32,000 subjects were measured by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT), explain the physicians. The participants were between the ages of 40 and 69 years. In addition, memory, reaction time and reasoning skills were also examined.

Thin retinal nerve fiber layer signs of dementia?

The scientists found that subjects with the thinnest retinal nerve fiber layer were more likely to fail one or more tests. These participants also had a double chance of getting worse ratings in follow-up examinations over the next three years. Memory loss, difficulties in performing known tasks, and other forms of cognitive decline can be early symptoms of dementia. OCT testing could help identify people at high risk of developing the disease, says study author Professor Paul Foster of University College London.

Benefits of OCT testing

An association between retinal deterioration, optic nerve and dementia was already known. The researchers explain that such changes could be detected with OCT tests even in the early stages of cognitive decline. Weakening of the retina could reflect the changes in the blood vessels in the brain, which play a role in the onset of the disease, the experts add. Another advantage of OCT testing is that it provides a relatively inexpensive and non-invasive method for screening for dementia.

Further research is needed

While a diagnosis of dementia is always based on results from a range of different tests, further studies should focus on how sensitive OCT tests can identify people most at risk of cognitive deterioration in the general population, physicians explain.