SIMPLE eye and smell tests could be used to spot dementia years before sufferers experience memory symptoms, new research suggests.
Researchers at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology found a link between poor cognitive ability - a "clear warning sign" of the early stages of Alzheimer's - and the thickness of people's retinal nerves.
In a trial of more than 33,000 participants who had tests on memory, reaction time and reasoning, eye scans showed the nerve fibre layer was "significantly thinner" among those who performed poorly on cognitive tests.
The findings, presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto, Canada, could be key as doctors believe diagnosing the condition early is "essential" if treatments are to be found that will give people who develop the condition the best chance.
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