Study Finds Test of Protein Levels in the Eye a Potential Predictor of (Future) Alzheimer's Disease

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease determined low levels of amyloid-ß and tau proteins in eye fluid were significantly associated with low cognitive scores, suggesting their presence could lead to an accessible, cost-effective test to predict future Alzheimer's development. Samples of eye fluid from 80 persons who were previously scheduled for eye surgery were analyzed. Levels of amyloid-ß and tau proteins in the fluid were correlated to the outcomes of a baseline cognitive test. "These findings could help us build an accessible, and minimally invasive, test to determine Alzheimer's disease risk, especially among persons with eye disease," said Boston Medical Center's Lauren Wright. "We noted that some of the participants who had low levels of protein biomarkers in their eye fluid already had signs of mild to moderate dementia based on their cognitive scores."