Bill Harvey: Days of future past

Evidence continues to build regarding the measurement of changes in the eye as a predictor of dementia states and loss of cognitive function.

Last year, there was great interest in the announcement that Optos was teaming up with the company Amydis in developing retinal screening for Alzheimer’s disease. Amydis has developed a technique that allows visualisation of the build up of amyloid, a useful biomarker for the disease which is found in the retina in increasing amounts. When made to fluoresce, the amyloid can be detected by ultra-wide field scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (as offered by Optos systems) and so can prove a useful biomarker for the early detection of the disease.