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Eye Scans Could Detect First Signs Of Diseases Laser Devices Could Allow Early Detection Of Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's POSTED: 8:45 pm MDT May 18, 2008 UPDATED: 7:42 pm MDT May 20, 2008 More than 46 million Americans live with diabetes, Parkinson's, cataracts and Alzheimer's. For some, early detection could lessen the diseases' impact, but for others, there is little doctors can do to detect the conditions before they progress. Parkinson's, for example, develops when neurons in the brain become damaged or deleted, but the first signs of the disease are not obvious until 80 percent of these neurons are damaged beyond repair. Other tests, like those for diabetes, can be painful and long, requiring patients to drink a syrupy liquid, then have their blood drawn. Your eyes can do a lot more than read and blink. Just by looking into the eye, doctors can "see" your heart beat, nutrient levels and even warning signs of disease. Researchers from the University of Texas have developed laser devices to non-invasively examine the eye to get early detection of eye conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinopathy as well as systemic diseases like diabetes, neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and osteoporosis. The eye itself is made up of numerous tissues and layers. When light enters the eye through the cornea, it must travel through the tissues of the eye, which Texas researchers say are representative of nearly every tissue type in the body. The aqueous region, located between the cornea and the iris, has the same components and concentrations as blood serum. Therefore, the concentration of glucose in the aqueous mimics the glucose concentration in the blood, giving doctors a non-invasive indication of a person's blood glucose levels -- vital for diabetes detection. When doctors transmit a laser light through the eye, they can determine the glucose levels in the aqueous. Alzheimer's can be detected using Dynamic Light Scattering -- when light beams mix with a system of particles. The amyloid proteins affected in Alzheimer's disease can promote aggregation of ocular proteins in the lens. When light passes through the eye, it can measure this protein aggregation. If Alzheimer's is detected at an early state, patients can perhaps be treated for early stages of the disease. The effects of early treatment and detection are not yet fully understood. The need for non-invasive testing methods is great among astronauts stationed in outer space for long-term missions. These laser methods, which are 200 to 300 times more sensitive than conventional cataract testing methods, were tested in space where loose fluids and large testing machines cannot be. Their use, however, is just as valuable on the ground as it is in space. Additional Resource: Vision Research and Human Health Diagnostics Laboratory (713) 500-3902 Copyright 2008 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn