Researchers are on the cusp of using a simple eye scan to detect dementia before the first symptoms occur.
Researchers of Amsterdam UMC have discovered that patients with so-called frontotemporal dementia (FTD) have abnormalities in the retina of the eyes.
They made the discovery by researching the eyes of more than 100 people who had died because of brain disorders, reports NL Times.
If the eye scan can be used, researchers say it may be possible to detect dementia years before its awful symptoms emerge.
Researcher Frederique Hart de Ruijter said: “This does not just help patients prepare for the future, but it also opens the doors for early participation in scientific research into new treatments and medicines for dementia.”
The research was published in the scientific magazine Acta Neuropathologica.
According to the NHS website, Frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language.
It says: “Dementia is the name for problems with mental abilities caused by gradual changes and damage in the brain.
“Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain (the frontal and temporal lobes).
“Dementia mostly affects people over 65, but frontotemporal dementia tends to start at a younger age. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 45-65, although it can also affect younger or older people.
“Like other types of dementia, frontotemporal dementia tends to develop slowly and get gradually worse over several years.”
There’s currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia, but there are treatments that can help manage some of the symptoms.
There are a wide range of symptoms of frontotemporal dementia also listed on the NHS website. Express.co.uk lists them below.
Behaviour and personality changes
Being insensitive or rude
Acting impulsively or rashly
Loss of inhibitions
Seeming subdued
Losing interest in people and things
Losing drive and motivation
Inability to empathise with others, seeming cold and selfish
Repetitive behaviours, such as humming, hand-rubbing and foot-tapping, or routines such as walking exactly the same route repetitively
A change in food preferences, such as suddenly liking sweet foods, and poor table manners
Compulsive eating, alcohol drinking and/or smoking
Neglecting personal hygiene
Language problems
Some people experience problems with speech and language, including:
Using words incorrectly – for example, calling a sheep a dog
Loss of vocabulary
Repeating a limited number of phrases
Forgetting the meaning of common words
Slow, hesitant speech
Difficulty making the right sounds to say words
Getting words in the wrong order
Automatically repeating things other people have said
Problems with mental abilities
Problems with thinking do not tend to occur in the early stages of frontotemporal dementia, but these often develop as the condition progresses.
These can include:
Difficulty working things out and needing to be told what to do
Poor planning, judgement and organisation
Becoming easily distracted
Thinking in a rigid and inflexible way
Losing the ability to understand abstract ideas
Difficulty recognising familiar people or objects
Memory difficulties, although this is not common early on
Physical problems
In the later stages, some people with frontotemporal dementia develop physical problems and difficulties with movement.
These can include:
Slow, stiff movements, similar to Parkinson’s disease
Daily activities may be more difficult including eating and problems swallowing
Loss of bladder control
Loss of bowel control