Dementia: Yellow spots in the eye could be a tool for monitoring the condition

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DEMENTIA is a term used to describe different types of brain degeneration. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease, although vascular dementia and dementia with lewy bodies are also types. Symptoms of dementia include leaving items in the wrong place and memory loss. New research has found that changes in yellow spots under the eye could be a way to monitor dementia progress
Dementia types include vascular dementia, and dementia with lewy bodies, although Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. Signs and symptoms of dementia can include memory loss, being unable to follow conversations or getting lost in familiar places. Early warning signs of dementia include asking the same question repeatedly and getting up in the night.
Studying over 110 people, the researchers scanned their eyes at the beginning of the test and after two years. They found that the change in the number of hard drusen formations, or yellow spots, on the retina was associated with the stage of dementia a person had. “In the peripheral retina, hard druse accumulation was significantly associated with positive Alzheimer’s disease status,” said lead study author, Dr Imre Lengyel, in a statement.

“At the two year follow-up examination conducted on those who were still able to comply, we found that here were more areas associated with drusen deposition in Alzheimer’s disease, but we also observed a consistently higher increase in drusen numbers in all patients when compared to controls.”

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