An eye test can help to predict who is at risk of developing dementia, a new study has suggested.
Scientists studied measured the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in the retinas of 32,000 people using an OCT scanner. From this, they have discovered that people with thinner retinas are more likely to have problems with memory and reasoning.
Participants between the ages of 40-69 were also assessed on their memory, reaction time and reasoning, with those possessing the thinnest RNFL more likely to fail one or more of the tests.
Professor Paul Foster, from the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, co-lead author of the paper, said: ‘It is likely that treatments will be more effective in slowing or stopping dementia at earlier stages of the disease. Also, by targeting people in the earlier stages, it should be possible to design better clinical trials for treatments that make a real difference and improve people's lives.’