Alzheimer’s Disease & the Eye – The Role of Beta Amyloid Deposition

  • Reading time:12 mins read
  • Post author:Priyal Taribagil
  • Post category:Article

Alzheimer’s disease has a significantly earlier onset and is uncommon. The gold standard means for confirmation of diagnosis is postmortem histological analysis. The presence of extracellular beta amyloid (Aβ) accumulation and intraneuronal deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau are defining features of the disease. These pathological hallmarks help to differentiate Alzheimer’s disease from other forms of dementia, which present with similar clinical symptoms. The fundamental problem with diagnosing the condition is that the pre-clinical stage remains unnoticed as characteristic indicators that allow early diagnosis are yet to be discovered (3). The emergence of the retina as a “window to the brain” has prompted a new means for detecting the disease. As the retina is anatomically and developmentally an extension of the central nervous system, changes in its structure could reflect brain pathology. The remainder of this paper focuses on discussing beta amyloid deposition in the retina as a means for potential early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

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