Eyes can be our best ally to fight against certain diseases. New scientific research has just discovered a detail in the eye that may help detect certain diseases.

This study suggests that retinal thinning in middle age is potentially associated with cognitive performance. Researchers even went so far as to support the idea that eye tests could help predict the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of memory and certain cognitive functions. The disease affected approximately 50 million people worldwide in 2015, and is the leading cause of dementia. By 2050, more than 152 million people could have the disease. Today, there is still no cure to effectively cure Alzheimer’s disease, but this study will certainly hope to detect it earlier.

“Given that we are unable to cure advanced Alzheimer’s disease and its global prevalence is increasing, it is really important to be able to identify people in the preclinical stage and, perhaps, have a chance to intervene,” said Ashley Barrett- Young, a health researcher at the University of Otago in New Zealand who conducted the study.

The Eye: A Means of Detecting Alzheimer’s?

The eye is a window onto the brain and many studies have already shown how much this organ can help us with our health. The brain can be analyzed through the retina and can give a lot of information. A study conducted several years ago showed that people with beta-amyloid protein in the retina, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease, also had thinner than average retinas.

A study conducted in 2018 also revealed new information, which revealed that Alzheimer’s disease can be linked to three eye pathologies. However, it also shows that the disease can come from many other factors.

A Long But Promising Study

The study by Ashley Barrett-Young followed the lives of more than 1,000 infants in New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day. Researchers selected a subgroup of 865 adults who underwent eye scans — a test for early diagnosis of certain diseases — at age 45, but who also underwent neuropsychological tests in childhood and later in life. ‘Adulthood.

This analysis was able to establish that participants with thin retinal layers failed cognitive performance tests. However, there is no association between retinal thinning and cognitive performance decline. The researchers point out that the thinning of the retina from the age of 45 is often associated with a decrease in the brain’s processing speed, so it is not necessarily associated with Alzheimer’s.

Many studies will still be needed on this issue for a more comprehensive overview. Researcher Ashley Barrett-Young concludes the analysis that “in the future, artificial intelligence may be used to test from these results and determine your risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”