Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Clin Ter. 2024 Sep-Oct;175(5):352-361. doi: 10.7417/CT.2024.5125.
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a significant challenge in neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive functions. Diagnosis typically occurs at advanced stages when therapeutic options are less effective, underscoring the importance of early detection. Traditional diagnostic methods are often invasive and costly, spurring interest in more accessible and economical alternatives. The eye, as a direct link to the brain through the optic nerve, suggests that ocular changes could serve as early indicators of AD. This has led to the exploration of non-invasive ocular diagnostic tools. Technologies such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), OCT Angiography (OCT-A), pupillometry, and eye-tracking, along with electrophysiological methods like Electroretinography (ERG) and Pattern Electroretinography (PEV), are being utilized to investigate potential ocular biomarkers. Further, tear fluid analysis has suggested that presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein might reflect neurogenerative processes, providing a non-invasive window into disease progression. Exploring ocular changes as potential early indicators of Alzhei-mer's Disease (AD), we aimed to provide an overview of promising biomarkers for earlier diagnosis and intervention. Our review further investigates the connections between AD and other ocular degenera-tive diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma, uncovering shared pathogenic pathways that could offer new therapeutic targets. To establish the sensitivity and specificity of these ocular biomarkers, comprehensive studies are required. Moreover, larger, longitudinal studies are essential to confirm the effectiveness of ocular assessments in the preemptive diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.
阿尔茨海默病(AD)是神经退行性疾病中的重大挑战,其特征是认知功能逐渐下降。通常在治疗选择效果较差的晚期才进行诊断,这凸显了早期检测的重要性。传统的诊断方法通常具有侵入性且昂贵,这促使人们对更易获取且经济的替代方法产生兴趣。眼睛通过视神经与大脑直接相连,这表明眼部变化可能成为 AD 的早期指标。这促使人们探索非侵入性的眼部诊断工具。人们正在利用光学相干断层扫描(OCT)、OCT 血管造影(OCT-A)、瞳孔测量和眼动追踪等技术,以及视网膜电图(ERG)和图形视网膜电图(PEV)等电生理方法,来研究潜在的眼部生物标志物。此外,泪液分析表明淀粉样蛋白-β(Aβ)蛋白的存在可能反映神经退行性过程,为疾病进展提供了一个非侵入性的窗口。探索眼部变化作为阿尔茨海默病(AD)的潜在早期指标,我们旨在概述有希望用于早期诊断和干预的生物标志物。我们的综述进一步研究了 AD 与其他眼部退行性疾病(如年龄相关性黄斑变性(AMD)和青光眼)之间的联系,揭示了可能提供新治疗靶点的共同发病途径。为了确定这些眼部生物标志物的敏感性和特异性,需要进行全面的研究。此外,还需要进行更大规模的纵向研究,以确认眼部评估在阿尔茨海默病的预防性诊断中的有效性。