Latest news with #Barrett-Young
The Star
03-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Detecting dementia through your eye
Changes in the blood vessels at the back of the eye could signal a higher risk of developing dementia. — dpa Veins and arteries at the back of the eye have been found to carry not only blood, but also signals of vulnerability to dementia onset. The presence of potential early warning signs of cognitive decline in veins linking the retina to the brain could help with 'putting together pieces of a puzzle', according to research fellow Dr Ashleigh Barrett-Young of the University of Otago in New Zealand. In a paper published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease , researchers from the University of Otago and the University of Virginia in the United States conclude that 'measures of retinal health, particularly microvascular measures, successfully capture ADRD [Alzheimer's disease and related dementia] risk across several domains of known risk factors'. And while the researchers caution that it is 'premature' for 'real world' application of the potential diagnostic method, they proposed that retinal microvascular imaging could prove to be an 'accessible, scalable and relatively low-cost method of assessing ADRD risk among middle-aged adults'. The team say their scans revealed that a system of narrower arterioles, wider venules and thinner retinal nerve fibre layers carrying visual signals from the retina to the brain were associated with greater dementia risk. 'I was surprised that venules were associated with so many different domains of Alzheimer's disease – that suggests that it might be a particularly useful target for assessing dementia risk,' Dr Barrett-Young says of the 'somewhat unexpected' scan outcome. 'Cognitive tests aren't sensitive enough in the early stages and a person may not be experiencing any decline yet, while other tests, like MRI and PET scanning, are expensive and not widely available,' the researchers say, according to a University of Otago statement. 'Treatments for Alzheimer's and some other forms of dementia may be most effective if they're started early in the disease course,' notes Dr Barrett-Young. – dpa
Jordan News
29-04-2025
- Health
- Jordan News
Eye Problems Indicate Dementia Risk Before Symptoms Appear - Jordan News
Researchers have found that subtle changes in the blood vessels of the eye may serve as a window through which we can predict the likelihood of dementia years before traditional symptoms manifest. اضافة اعلان These groundbreaking results, published in the journal Alzheimer's Disease, could drastically change early detection methods for this devastating disease. This discovery is led by a research team from the University of Otago, which analyzed data from thousands of eye exams as part of a long-term New Zealand study. The researchers identified three specific changes in the eye that are closely linked to an increased risk of dementia: narrowing of the small arteries (arterioles), widening of the small veins (venules), and thinning of the nerve fiber layer in the retina. These subtle changes could appear even before any other signs of cognitive decline. Dr. Ashley Barrett-Young, the lead researcher in the study, explains: "The retina is a direct extension of the central nervous system, and what we see in it actually reflects what is happening in the brain." She adds, "The tiny blood vessels in the eye give us a precise image of the health of the blood vessels in the brain, making them a unique biological marker." This discovery comes at a time when our understanding of dementia is undergoing a revolution. Previous studies have shown that vision sensitivity tests can predict dementia up to 12 years before diagnosis. What's new here is the potential for early detection through a simple, non-invasive eye exam, which could become routine in eye doctors' clinics. Despite these promising results, researchers caution that we are still in the early stages of this scientific path. Barrett-Young says, "We can't currently predict an individual's risk just by looking at an eye scan, but we are working on developing artificial intelligence algorithms that may make this possible in the near future." (New York Post)
Otago Daily Times
26-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Link between eye health and dementia
Researchers have uncovered a link between eye health and dementia using data from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, which could help identify the cognitive syndrome early. University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researcher, Dr Ashleigh Barrett-Young, told RNZ's Saturday Morning programme today that changes to the blood vessels at the back of the eye could indicate someone is at greater risk of developing dementia. Barrett-Young, co-lead author of the study and a Research Fellow in the university's Department of Psychology, told Susie Ferguson there were two categories of retinal measurements. "We looked at the thickness of a couple of the cell layers from the retina. These are the same cells that form the optic nerve - they connect directly with the brain. "And we also looked at the blood vessels at the back of the eye because they're closely related to the blood vessels in the brain." She said the idea was that if there was any sign of disease in the brain, then it should also be able to be seen in the eye. The study participants were aged 45 when the data was collected, which Barrett-Young said was usually too young to be diagnosed with dementia. However, she said co-author of the research, Dr Aaron Reuben, created a comprehensive index of different types of dementia risk-factors including genetic, family history, smoking, physical activity, hearing impairment, blood pressure and a history of head injuries. Reuben combined them to make a single risk score, and the retinal measurements were checked off against this, Barrett-Young said. "So we found that both the cellular thickness' and the blood vessel measurements were associated with increased risk for developing dementia based on those risk scores, though the blood vessels did show a stronger association." Barrett-Young said there were too types of blood vessels at the back of the eye. "One is arterioles - you can think of them like mini-arteries," she said. "(It's the) same as when you have heart disease or when you have atherosclerosis. There starts getting build-up in those blood vessels and so they tend to narrow so the blood isn't flowing as well." On the other side were venuals, which were like "mini veins". "They tend to be subject to greater inflammation which means they end up widening so that they're not working as effectively either." The changes taken separately indicated different things but together indicated the blood vessel system was not working as well as it could. Barrett-Young said it was difficult to know how much more at risk these factors made people, for developing dementia. "I think we're getting slowly closer to a better answer for that." How AI could help Barrett-Young said Alzheimer's disease and other dementias begin a long time before any symptoms became apparent, possibly even decades before people noticed cognitive decline. "Currently Alzheimer's disease and dementia are usually diagnosed based on cognitive tests, including memory tests, things like that. "But part of the problem is that we all experience some age-related changes in our memory and processing speed over time and that's just completely normal. "So it takes a while until it's clear that the cognitive decline is beyond a level that is typical of normal ageing and that might suggest that a person has Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. "But that's what makes it really hard to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the early stages when the damage is only just beginning, and when any interventions we can do, like lifestyle changes, might have the greatest impact." Barrett-Young said the longitudinal study gave the researchers decades of history on each subject. She believed artificial intelligence would play a part in helping to use the retina as a biomarker for determining a person's risk of dementia. "What we're able to tell is that there are really small changes in the eye that we probably wouldn't pick up using your standard optometry or ophthalmology tests but that taking those images and being able to use artificial intelligence may be able to give you an idea of a person's risk for dementia. "So perhaps in the future AI will be able to tell you whether you're at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, even possibly years before you have the disease."
Otago Daily Times
25-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Researchers uncover link between eye health and dementia
Researchers have uncovered a link between eye health and dementia using data from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, which could help identify the cognitive syndrome early. University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researcher, Dr Ashleigh Barrett-Young, told RNZ's Saturday Morning programme today that changes to the blood vessels at the back of the eye could indicate someone is at greater risk of developing dementia. Barrett-Young, co-lead author of the study and a Research Fellow in the university's Department of Psychology, told Susie Ferguson there were two categories of retinal measurements. "We looked at the thickness of a couple of the cell layers from the retina. These are the same cells that form the optic nerve - they connect directly with the brain. "And we also looked at the blood vessels at the back of the eye because they're closely related to the blood vessels in the brain." She said the idea was that if there was any sign of disease in the brain, then it should also be able to be seen in the eye. The study participants were aged 45 when the data was collected, which Barrett-Young said was usually too young to be diagnosed with dementia. However, she said co-author of the research, Dr Aaron Reuben, created a comprehensive index of different types of dementia risk-factors including genetic, family history, smoking, physical activity, hearing impairment, blood pressure and a history of head injuries. Reuben combined them to make a single risk score, and the retinal measurements were checked off against this, Barrett-Young said. "So we found that both the cellular thickness' and the blood vessel measurements were associated with increased risk for developing dementia based on those risk scores, though the blood vessels did show a stronger association." Barrett-Young said there were too types of blood vessels at the back of the eye. "One is arterioles - you can think of them like mini-arteries," she said. "(It's the) same as when you have heart disease or when you have atherosclerosis. There starts getting build-up in those blood vessels and so they tend to narrow so the blood isn't flowing as well." On the other side were venuals, which were like "mini veins". "They tend to be subject to greater inflammation which means they end up widening so that they're not working as effectively either." The changes taken separately indicated different things but together indicated the blood vessel system was not working as well as it could. Barrett-Young said it was difficult to know how much more at risk these factors made people, for developing dementia. "I think we're getting slowly closer to a better answer for that." How AI could help Barrett-Young said Alzheimer's disease and other dementias begin a long time before any symptoms became apparent, possibly even decades before people noticed cognitive decline. "Currently Alzheimer's disease and dementia are usually diagnosed based on cognitive tests, including memory tests, things like that. "But part of the problem is that we all experience some age-related changes in our memory and processing speed over time and that's just completely normal. "So it takes a while until it's clear that the cognitive decline is beyond a level that is typical of normal ageing and that might suggest that a person has Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. "But that's what makes it really hard to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the early stages when the damage is only just beginning, and when any interventions we can do, like lifestyle changes, might have the greatest impact." Barrett-Young said the longitudinal study gave the researchers decades of history on each subject. She believed artificial intelligence would play a part in helping to use the retina as a biomarker for determining a person's risk of dementia. "What we're able to tell is that there are really small changes in the eye that we probably wouldn't pick up using your standard optometry or ophthalmology tests but that taking those images and being able to use artificial intelligence may be able to give you an idea of a person's risk for dementia. "So perhaps in the future AI will be able to tell you whether you're at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, even possibly years before you have the disease."
RNZ News
25-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Researchers uncover link between eye health and dementia
Researchers have uncovered a link between eye health and dementia by using retinal measurements. Photo: Maciej Luczniewski/NurPhoto Researchers have uncovered a link between eye health and dementia using data and sans from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study, which could help identify the cognitive syndrome early. University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researcher, Dr Ashleigh Barrett-Young, told Saturday Morning changes to the blood vessels at the back of the eye could indicate someone is at greater risk of developing dementia. Barrett-Young, co-lead author of the study and a Research Fellow in the university's Department of Psychology, told Susie Ferguson there were two categories of retinal measurements. "We looked at the thickness of a couple of the cell layers from the retina. These are the same cells that form the optic nerve - they connect directly with the brain. "And we also looked at the blood vessels at the back of the eye because they're closely related to the blood vessels in the brain." She said the idea was that if there was any sign of disease in the brain, then it should also be able to be seen in the eye. The study participants were aged 45 when the data was collected, which Barrett-Young said was usually too young to be diagnosed with dementia. However, she said co-author of the research, Dr Aaron Reuben, created a comprehensive index of different types of dementia risk-factors including genetic, family history, smoking, physical activity, hearing impairment, blood pressure and a history of head injuries. Reuben combined them to make a single risk score, and the retinal measurements were checked off against this, Barrett-Young said. "So we found that both the cellular thickness' and the blood vessel measurements were associated with increased risk for developing dementia based on those risk scores, though the blood vessels did show a stronger association." Barrett-Young said there were too types of blood vessels at the back of the eye. "One is arterioles - you can think of them like mini-arteries," she said. "(It's the) same as when you have heart disease or when you have atherosclerosis. There starts getting build-up in those blood vessels and so they tend to narrow so the blood isn't flowing as well." On the other side were venuals, which were like "mini veins". "They tend to be subject to greater inflammation which means they end up widening so that they're not working as effectively either." The changes taken separately indicated different things but together indicated the blood vessel system was not working as well as it could. Barrett-Young said it was difficult to know how much more at risk these factors made people, for developing dementia. "I think we're getting slowly closer to a better answer for that." Barrett-Young said with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, they began a long time before any symptoms became apparent, possibly even decades before people noticed cognitive decline. "Currently Alzheimer's disease and dementia are usually diagnosed based on cognitive tests, including memory tests, things like that. "But part of the problem is that we all experience some age-related changes in our memory and processing speed over time and that's just completely normal. "So it takes a while until it's clear that the cognitive decline is beyond a level that is typical of normal ageing and that might suggest that a person has Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. "But that's what makes it really hard to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the early stages when the damage is only just beginning, and when any interventions we can do, like lifestyle changes, might have the greatest impact." Barrett-Young said the longitudinal study gave the researchers decades of history on each subject. She believed artificial intelligence would play a part in helping to use the retina as a biomarker for determining a person's risk of dementia. "What we're able to tell is that there are really small changes in the eye that we probably wouldn't pick up using your standard optometry or ophthalmology tests but that taking those images and being able to use artificial intelligence may be able to give you an idea of a person's risk for dementia. "So perhaps in the future AI will be able to tell you whether you're at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, even possibly years before you have the disease."
