Retina Provides a Window to the Brain for Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

disease (AD) at the earliest stages, the answer might be right in the eyes. An eye scan may allow early detection of AD, opening the possibility of earlier and more effective treatment intervention. A recent study at Cedars-Sinai provides the fi rst evidence of amyloid plaques (the hallmark pathological signs of AD) in the retinas of deceased patients, including retinas of those who were probably in early stages of the disease. Moreover, in live laboratory mice genetically modifi ed to model the human disease, similar retinal plaques were detected in vivo at unprecedentedly high resolution by a newly developed, noninvasive optical imaging approach. This work has generated considerable discussion among scientists, since it reveals that AD pathology is not restricted to the brain as experts previously thought.