My News LA Blood Vessel Defects in Eyes May Foretell Alzheimer s Disease Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 16 October 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles My News LA Blood Vessel Defects in Eyes May Foretell Alzheimer s Disease Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, PhD, is an associate professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences at Cedar-Sinai. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. In a story published by My News LA, Cedars-Sinai investigators Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, PhD, associate professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences, and Keith L. Black, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, discussed their study, which showed that the early stages of Alzheimer's disease affect small blood vessels in patients' eyes. Alzheimer's disease, which may affect more than 5.5 million people in the U.S., according the Alzheimer's Association, is the leading cause of dementia. It is characterized by a severe decline in memory and mental ability serious enough to affect daily life, and there is no cure. The findings of the study could lead to the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's using the retina, a back-of-the-eye organ that is an extension of the brain and easily accessible for live, noninvasive imaging. Investigators revealed early molecular and cellular loss in blood vessels, together with an accumulation of amyloid-beta deposits – a buildup of a toxic protein – in retinal blood vessel walls of Alzheimer's patients, explained Koronyo-Hamaoui, who led the study. "The buildup of this protein in the brain is a signature of Alzheimer's. We were able to map these vascular abnormalities and find that certain regions of the retina were more vulnerable," Koronyo-Hamaoui said in the article. The abnormalities detected in the study also were found in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Taken together, these findings offer significant insights into how Alzheimer's develops, with major clinical implications, Black said. "The discovery of abnormalities in retinal blood vessels in patients with mild cognitive impairment holds the potential for diagnosing Alzheimer's years before people show symptoms," Black said in the article. "Such early detection could provide insights into the disease and enable treatments to be created." Click here to read the complete story from My News LA. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Sarah Lichtman Sarah.Lichtman@cshs.org Share this release My News LA Blood Vessel Defects in Eyes May Foretell Alzheimer s Disease Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home