Eyes can provide early sign of Parkinson’s disease
New Delhi, Aug 19(ANI): Turns out, eyes play a crucial role for people with Parkinson’s disease. People with the disease gradually lose brain cells that produce dopamine, a substance that helps control movement. Now, a new study has found that the thinning of the retina, the lining of nerve cells in the back of the eye, is linked to the loss of such brain cells. Thinner the retina, the greater the severity of the disease. These discoveries may mean that neurologists may eventually be able to use a simple eye scan to detect Parkinson’s disease in its earliest stages before problems with movement begin. Researchers found retina thinning, most notably in the two inner layers of the five layers of the retina, in those with Parkinson’s disease. In addition, the thinning of the retina corresponded with the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. It also corresponded with the severity of the disease. A limitation of the study was that the retina scans focused only on a limited area of the retina. The full findings appeared in the journal- Neurology.
