New research could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and track its progress simply by examining a patient’s eyes. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Neuroscientists at the University of California-Irvine have found that the retinas of mice genetically altered to have Alzheimer’s undergo changes similar to those that occur in the human brain – most significantly the accumulation of amyloid plaque. Scientists aren’t exactly sure what causes AD but abnormal proteins known as “plaques” and twisted fibers known as “tangles” are believed to block communication among nerve cells.
UC-Irvine researchers also found that when Alzheimer's therapies were tested in the genetically altered mice, the resulting retinal changes could indicate how the therapies will work in humans.

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