"A study led by researchers at CedarsSinai and NeuroVision Imaging LLC httpneurovision.com provides the scientific basis for using noninvasive eye imaging to detect the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimers. The experimental technology developed by CedarsSinai and NeuroVision scans the retina using techniques that can identify betaamyloid protein deposits that mirror those in the brain.  Accumulations of neurotoxic betaamyloid protein can be detected with positron emission tomography or PET scans and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid but these are invasive inconvenient and costly making them impractical for routine screening and followup evaluation. This is the first study demonstrating the potential to image and quantify retinal findings related to betaamyloid plaques noninvasively in living patients using a retinal scan with high resolution. This clinical trial is reinforced by an indepth exploration of the accumulation of betaamyloid in the retina of Alzheimers patients versus matched controls and a comparison analysis between retina and brain pathologies. Findings from this study strongly suggest that retinal imaging can serve as a surrogate biomarker to investigate and monitor Alzheimers disease said Maya KoronyoHamaoui Ph.D. httpneurovision.comaboutus an associate professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences and a research scientist at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at CedarsSinai and a cofounder inventor and scientist at NeuroVision. She is the senior leading author of an article in JCI Insight published online Aug. .  As a developmental outgrowth of the central nervous system that shares many of the brains characteristics the retina may offer a unique opportunity for us to easily and conveniently detect and monitor Alzheimers disease said Keith L. Black M.D. httpneurovision.comaboutus chairman of NeuroVision chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at CedarsSinai. We know that Alzheimers begins as many as  or  years before cognitive decline becomes evident and we believe that potential treatments may be more effective if they can be started early in the process. Therefore screening and early detection may be crucial to our efforts to turn the tide against the growing threat of this devastating disease. Steven Verdooner httpneurovision.comaboutus NeuroVision CEO said the imaging system leverages the companys expertise in autofluorescence imaging of the retina using a specialized ophthalmic camera and sophisticated image processing software. Its exciting to see these studies demonstrating the power of the technology applied to the Alzheimers field. Our goal is to develop a product that is easy to use affordable and widely accessible. We look forward to the potential of retinal imaging playing a vital role in solving the problem of Alzheimers both in identifying and monitoring those who may be affected by the disease. Our next step is to continue with clinical trials building upon the existing pharmaceutical company collaborations to ensure our technology is ready for the medical community to help manage this disease.  The studys first author Yosef Koronyo httpneurovision.comaboutus a research associate at CedarsSinai and a scientist and inventor at NeuroVision said the latest findings cap a decade of study that has produced several landmark discoveries. In  our research group published an article providing the first evidence for the existence of Alzheimersspecific plaques in the human retina and we demonstrated the ability to detect individual plaques in live mouse models using a modified ophthalmic device.  After adapting the technology for human application the researchers initiated several ongoing clinical trials in the United States and Australia to determine the feasibility of detecting and quantifying betaamyloid plaques in patients with the disease.  In the new article the researchers report on a patient clinical trial to demonstrate the feasibility of identifying betaamyloid in the eye using autofluorescence imaging. They also provide detailed analyses and several new findings on Alzheimers pathology in the retina results of research with donated eyes and brains of  deceased patients  with confirmed Alzheimers disease and  controls. Among key findings the researchers report a .fold increase in retinal plaque burden in patients with Alzheimers compared to controls and they provide observations regarding geometric distribution and layer location of amyloid pathology in the retina. With the imaging technologys ability to detect autofluorescence signal related to retinal betaamyloid these findings may lead to a practical approach for largescale identification of the atrisk population and monitoring of Alzheimers the researchers say. The article provides new insights into the diseases manifestations in the retina and information on the optical imaging system. Here are several highlights  The first histologic quantitative analysis of retinal plaque clusters or hot spots containing the most toxic forms of betaamyloid with specific distribution patterns in superior peripheral regions that were previously unexplored.   A detailed analysis of betaamyloid deposit types using electron microscopy.   The first report of certain Alzheimersrelated pathologies in the retina including vascular amyloid pathology.   The demonstration of a significant correlation between retinal and brain plaques and coexistence of neuronal loss.   The first feasibility study for noninvasively detecting presumed amyloid deposits in retinas of living patients.   The demonstration of a fully automated calculation quantifying retinal autofluorescence that showed a .fold increase in patients with Alzheimers compared with controls.  Researchers from NeuroVision CedarsSinai the Doheny Eye Institute Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group Retinal Consultants Medical Group Sutter Neuroscience Institute UCLA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center Veterans Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and the University of Southern California contributed to the research and article. KoronyoHamaoui Verdooner Koronyo and Black are founding members of NeuroVision.  Funding was provided by a National Institutes of HealthNational Institute on Aging NIA award AG KoronyoHamaoui NVI The Saban Family Foundation and The Marciano Family Foundation KoronyoHamaoui. About NeuroVision Imaging LLC NeuroVision http was formed in  and is headquartered in Sacramento California. Dr. Keith Black the companys chairman and cofounder is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon researcher and thought leader in areas of brain and bloodbrain barrier function enhancing the therapeutic effects of treatments in the brain and optical imaging of the brain. He is the chair of CedarsSinais Department of Neurosurgery. Steven R. Verdooner NVIs CEO as well as a company director is an experienced medical technology industry veteran who has successfully developed commercialized and marketed ophthalmological imaging and measurement systems for other diagnostic applications. Clinical trials were approved by Quorum Review Seattle Washington IRB and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services FWA. Human tissues were obtained from the USC Alzheimers Disease Research Center ADRC Neuropathology Core Los Angeles CA IRB protocol HS. Animal studies were approved by the CedarsSinai Medical Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee IACUC and the Division on Laboratory Animal Medicine DLAM at UCLA."