In a breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease research, American doctors have converted a simple eye test into a powerful diagnostic instrument for the disease (Science, Vol 266, No 5187).
A research team led by Leonard Scinto and Huntington Potter of the Harvard Medical School, Boston, reports that the pupils of Alzheimer's patients dilate more pronouncedly -- 13 per cent or more -- in response to drops of tropicamide, which doctors use in routine eye examinations, compared to about 5 per cent observed in healthy elderly people. The scientists claim that their test may be able to predict potential victims even before the symptoms develop.
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[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/looking-through-eyes
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/down-earth
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/health-care
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/medical-research
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/eye-diseases
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/science-and-technology