Parkinson’s disease is accompanied by changes in the structure of the retina. This discovery, which may form the basis of a new method in diagnosing the disease, was published in the journal NPJ Parkinson’s Disease.
According to the World Health Organization, Parkinson’s disease is a brain disease that impairs physical activity, causing mental disorders, sleep disturbances, pain and other health problems.
The average age of healthy participants and patients with Parkinson’s disease in the new study was 64.8 and 61.4 years, respectively. The analysis confirmed a higher prevalence of retinal thinning (plexiform layer and peripapillary nerve fiber layer) in patients with Parkinson’s disease compared to controls.
More severe ocular changes were associated with more severe Parkinson’s motor symptoms and impaired thinking. Scientists believe that thinning of the retina may precede deterioration in brain function. This discovery suggests that retinal changes could be used to assess the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
However, more research is needed to examine the retinal structure in Parkinson’s patients over a longer period of time.
Russian scientists before to create A way to detect diabetes visually.