The eye in Down’s syndrome as a window to Alzheimer’s Disease
A team from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University hopes to develop more accessible, non-invasive ways to monitor Alzheimer’s Disease from the earliest possible stage.
There is a major need for early identification of those at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common cause of dementia in our society. Work from our group and others has highlighted the potential for images of the inside of the eye to provide evidence of the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease before other clinical signs are visible.
People with Down syndrome is the largest patient group whose condition is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. We have a longstanding interest in understanding and improving vision in people with Down syndrome.
The REVEAL study is a research project funded by the Alzheimer’s Society with researchers from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University. This project involves using cutting-edge technology to image the eye in people with Down syndrome and older people at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. We also ask to take saliva, tear, and blood samples. This will enable us to investigate the presence of inflammatory and Alzheimer’s Disease markers and determine if there is a link between these and changes in eye structures. These new insights could lead to more accessible, non-invasive ways to monitor Alzheimer’s Disease from the earliest possible stage.
More information
If you would like to find out more about the study or are interested in taking part, please contact Dr Aoife Hunter at a.hunter@ulster.ac.uk or call 028 7012 3416.
For updates on the study, please follow us on Twitter: @REVEAL_Study
About the research team
Prof. Julie-Anne Little
Julie-Anne is an optometrist and researcher with a longstanding research interest in visual development and optimizing vision in people with Down syndrome and has conducted several studies improving understanding of the visual needs of people with Down syndrome. Through this work, she wants to investigate how images of the eye can help detect and monitor cognitive decline.
Dr Imre Lengyel
Imre is a translational ophthalmic researcher interested in bringing clinical imaging and molecular studies together. Imre established programs for imaging and analysing retinal changes for Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. In this study Imre aims at identifying molecular markers underpinning retinal changes in people with Down syndrome.
Dr Aoife Hunter
Dr Aoife Hunter is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Centre for Optometry and Vison Science at Ulster University. She is working on the REVEAL study, organizing, and performing the research study visits. Aoife is also a GOC-registered optometrist and works within the eye clinic at Ulster University.