A recent study published in Acta Neuropathologica found a significant increase in beta-amyloid, a crucial hallmark of Alzheimers disease, in persons with Alzheimers and early cognitive impairment.

The researchers collected retinal and brain tissue samples from 86 human donors with Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment over 14 years and then compared the samples from donors with normal cognitive function, those with mild cognitive impairment, and those with later-stage Alzheimers disease.

According to the study, microglial cells fell by 80% in those with cognitive difficulties. These cells are in charge of the repair and maintenance of other cells, as well as the removal of beta-amyloid from the brain and retina.

Researchers found a more significant number of immune cells densely encircling amyloid beta plaques and other cells involved in inflammation and cell and tissue death. Also, tissue atrophy and inflammation in cells in the distant periphery of the retina were the most predictive of cognitive state.

Researchers thus concluded that these findings could potentially lead to the development of imaging tools that would allow diagnosing Alzheimers disease earlier and more correctly and tracking its progression noninvasively through the eye.

(Source:  https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/24/health/eye-early-alzheimers-diagnosis-wellness)