They observe changes in the retina in a mouse model to detect Alzheimer’s disease.

MURsia (EP). Research group led by E.l Ramon Castroviejo Ophthalmological Research Institute (IIORC), Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and Health Research Institute of the San Carlos Clinical Hospital (IdISSC) in collaboration with international institutes observed vascular and structural changes in the retina in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from the earliest stages, which will open up new possibilities for early detection and monitoring of this neurodegenerative disease.

In particular, mice showed significant changes in the retinal vascular structure, especially in the superficial vascular complex, as well as changes in retinal thickness, with a decrease in the thickness of the inner retinal layers and an increase in the thickness of the outer retinal layers at most points analyzed. These structural changes precede the cognitive changes that occur in later stages of the disease.

The study was conducted using advanced imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to analyze the retinas of APPNL-F/NL-F transgenic mice, a model that closely mimics the pathological processes of AD in humans. The study, published in the journal Biomolecules, covered different stages of the life of mice ranging from six to 20 months of age and compared them with age-matched control mice.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for the management and treatment of this disease. Vascular and structural changes in the retina, detected by non-invasive methods such as OCTA, represent a promising tool for early diagnosis. “These findings not only facilitate the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of AD, but may also lead to the development of new early intervention strategies,” said IIORC researcher and study co-author Maria Rosa de Hos.