(Image Source: ALAMY)

BY: JUSTIN WHALEY 
ANCHOR: CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Australian scientists say they’ve found a simple way to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease -- through an eye exam.

Here’s researcher Shaun Frost at the American Alzheimer’s Association International Conference:

“It’s much easier for us to image the retina than it is for us to do a brain scan, so there’s the point we sort of make in trying to look at the eye for this purpose. Our study has observed changes in the retina in Alzheimer’s disease that might help us to detect the disease much earlier." 

CBS reports -- researchers examined retinal photos of quote- “healthy” people, some with Alzheimer’s and others with mild cognitive impairment considered a form of “pre-Alzheimer’s.”
And the test -- doesn’t require special equipment.

“The test involves photographing blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Most eye doctors have the cameras needed to take the images, although the test requires the use of a special computer program..." 

And The Western Australian explains specifically what researchers look for when inspecting the retinas of people who could potentially develop the disease --

“The widths of certain blood vessels were different in those with Alzheimer’s than in the others, and the amount of difference matched the amount of plaque seen on brain scans." 

It’s much more conventional and less expensive than a traditional brain scan. The Telegraph reports the benefits of the retina-scanning procedure.

“Not only would early detection allow people to plan for the future, it would mean potential new treatments could be tested at the earliest stages of the disease, when they are most likely to have an effect." 

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Transcript by Newsy.