2023-09-03 13:16:55
The eyes are considered the mirror of the soul. But it has long been known that they can also depict diseases. Parkinson’s also manifests itself in the organs of vision.
Tremors, stiff muscles and slow movements are typical of Parkinson’s disease. The cause is an undersupply of a small part of the brain with the messenger substance dopamine, which causes nerve cells in this area to die. Around 400,000 people in Germany suffer from Parkinson’s. So far there is no cure. But the symptoms can be relieved.
British researchers have now made decisive progress in the early detection of the disease. They found out that the disease can be read from the eyes seven years before the onset of the disease.
Eye scans show abnormalities
The researchers from University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital used data from 155,000 patients who presented to London eye clinics over a ten-year period (between 2008 and 2018). The data of around 67,300 volunteers were also consulted. All were between the ages of 40 and 69.
A little over 50,000 study participants were identified from these patient and test person data. Of these, 53 people developed Parkinson’s disease within the study period, an average of seven years following retinal imaging.
The evaluation of the eye scans using artificial intelligence showed that the later Parkinson’s patients had a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer. This is the innermost layer of the retina. It was also noticeable that the inner granular layer of the eye was also thinner.
tool for early detection
“Physicians have long known that the eye can act as a window to the rest of the body, providing direct insight into many aspects of our health,” the accompanying press release reads. Eye scans have already revealed signs of other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.
The researchers now hope to have found an important tool for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease. Study author Siegfried Wagner: “I am always amazed at what we can discover through eye scans. Although we cannot yet predict whether a person will develop Parkinson’s disease, we hope that this method will soon become a pre-screening tool for people with Parkinson’s disease disease risk.”
Spotting signs of a range of diseases before symptoms appear means people may have time in the future to make lifestyle changes to prevent some diseases from developing.
Before Parkinson’s disease shows symptoms, 50 percent of the nerve cells in the corresponding brain area have already been lost. If the disease is detected before it even becomes noticeable, the process of dying of these cells can be slowed down early on, for example through a healthier lifestyle or the administration of appropriate medication. The findings of the study might contribute to this early detection.
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