Dr. Lad's Alzheimer's research was featured in the October Issue of EyeNet, a publication of AAO.
Although definitive tests to diagnose Alzheimer disease (AD) in its earliest stages remain frustratingly elusive, recent developments in identifying retinal biomarkers—combined with new insights into the visual symptoms of the disease—are reenergizing the quest, shifting the spotlight from the brain to the eye.
A number of recently published studies report the efforts to identify potential biomarkers for early AD, including retinal ganglion cell layer (RGCL) and nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and peripheral retinal deposits or pigmentary changes thought to contain accumulations of ß-amyloid protein. Other researchers are evaluating changes in eye movements. These and other efforts raise the tantalizing possibility of an eye test for AD. See More