Optician news in brief

Eighty-seven per cent of student optometrists and dispensing opticians renewed their General Optical Council registration by the July 15 deadline, a large increase on last year. Philip Hallam, GOC head of registration, put the improvement down to the new online retention system. The 542 students who missed the deadline, compared with 951 last year, must now apply by August 31, with an extra £10 late application charge.

Scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation believe the differences in the width of blood vessels can be spotted in the retinas of dementia sufferers. Reporting their findings to the American Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Paris, they hope to develop an eye test to detect the early signs of the disease, The Daily Telegraph reported (July 18).