Eye exams may uncover Alzheimer’s warning signs years before memory loss appears | Mice with a common gene mutation showed twisted retinal vessels tied to dementia, hinting at early diagnostics.

From the article: Doctors may soon be able to detect Alzheimer’s disease long before memory loss sets in—using something as simple as a routine eye exam.

A new [study](https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.70501) suggests that subtle changes in the retina’s blood vessels could serve as an early biomarker for dementia risk.

Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) found that twisted and narrowed vessels in the retinas of mice with a common genetic mutation strongly resemble vascular abnormalities seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

The findings build on nearly a decade of research at JAX, where scientists have linked changes in specific retinal cells to early dementia risk.

Because the retina is part of the central nervous system and shares nearly identical tissue with the brain, it provides a uniquely accessible window into neurological health.

“Your retina is essentially your brain, but it’s much more accessible,” said neuroscientist Alaina Reagan, who co-led the study with Gareth Howell, professor and Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Chair for Glaucoma Research at JAX.

“We can directly see the neurons and blood vessels, and how they behave under disease pressure.”