Uncover the strange visual clues that could signal Alzheimer's
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Alzheimer's disease is often associated with memory loss, confusion, and forgetfulness.
However, recent research has revealed a lesser-known early warning sign of this debilitating disease—vision problems.
This surprising discovery has the potential to revolutionise the way we diagnose and understand Alzheimer's, and it's crucial that we spread awareness about this unusual symptom.
Alzheimer's disease is not a one-size-fits-all condition. It has several subtypes, one of which is posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).
This variant primarily affects vision, causing difficulties in judging distances, distinguishing between moving and stationary objects, and even writing.
PCA is a relatively unknown subtype of Alzheimer's, and its symptoms can often go undiagnosed for years.
This is because many healthcare providers are unaware of its existence and fail to look for it.
However, a recent large-scale international study led by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) aims to change this.
The study analysed the medical files of over 1,000 PCA patients from 16 countries.
The researchers found that the visual-spatial symptoms of PCA typically begin affecting patients about five or six years earlier than those with the more common form of Alzheimer's.
While the exact number of people with PCA is unknown, the researchers estimate that this variant may account for up to 10 per cent of Alzheimer's cases.
This means that nearly 40,000 Australians could be living with this condition.
PCA symptoms, which also include difficulty with reading and maths, using everyday objects, and recognising faces, can affect people with no other memory problems.
This often leads individuals to believe that their issues are not neurological.
Many adults in their 50s and 60s attribute their vision disturbances to their advancing age, and instead of seeking medical care, they opt for glasses.
It's only when they finally see an ophthalmologist, who notices abnormalities in their vision test results, that they are referred to a neurologist who can identify the problem.
The usual time from experiencing the atypical visual symptoms to receiving a diagnosis is just below four years.
This delay in diagnosis highlights the need for increased awareness and better diagnostic tools for PCA.
Dr Marianne Chapleau, a co-author of the paper and researcher at the UCSF Department of Neurology, the Memory and Ageing Center, said: ‘We need more awareness of PCA so that it can be flagged by clinicians.’
‘Most patients see their optometrist when they start experiencing visual symptoms and may be referred to an ophthalmologist who may also fail to recognise PCA. We need better tools in clinical settings to identify these patients early on and get them treatment.’
In the study, the two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease measured by the researchers are tau and amyloid proteins.
Both of these proteins accumulate in the brain, forming deposits known to cause inflammation in the body and cut communication between brain cells.
People with PCA had the same levels of tau and amyloid plaques in their brains as those with the other more common forms of Alzheimer's.
This suggests that PCA is not a separate disease, but a specific subtype of Alzheimer's.
While there is still no known cure, the usual pathologies that Alzheimer's and PCA share mean that PCA patients may gain from doing a clinical trial for medications in the pipeline or talking to their provider about the US Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-amyloid drug lecanemab.
Better understanding of PCA is 'crucial for advancing both patient care and for understanding the processes that drive Alzheimer's disease,' said Senior Author Dr Gil Rabinovici, Director of the UCSF Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
He added: 'It's critical that doctors learn to recognise the syndrome so patients can receive the correct diagnosis, counselling and care.’
'From a scientific point of view, we really need to understand why Alzheimer's is specifically targeting visual rather than memory areas of the brain. Our study found that 60 per cent of patients with PCA were women—better understanding of why they appear to be more susceptible is one important area of future research.'
The research was published in the journal Lancet Neurology, and it's hoped to lead to increased awareness and better diagnostic tools for PCA.
What do you think about this surprising link between vision problems and Alzheimer's? Have you or a loved one experienced these symptoms? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below.
However, recent research has revealed a lesser-known early warning sign of this debilitating disease—vision problems.
This surprising discovery has the potential to revolutionise the way we diagnose and understand Alzheimer's, and it's crucial that we spread awareness about this unusual symptom.
Alzheimer's disease is not a one-size-fits-all condition. It has several subtypes, one of which is posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).
This variant primarily affects vision, causing difficulties in judging distances, distinguishing between moving and stationary objects, and even writing.
The research found that visual-spatial symptoms of PCA affect patients earlier than those with more common Alzheimer’s symptoms. Image: Freepik
PCA is a relatively unknown subtype of Alzheimer's, and its symptoms can often go undiagnosed for years.
This is because many healthcare providers are unaware of its existence and fail to look for it.
However, a recent large-scale international study led by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) aims to change this.
The study analysed the medical files of over 1,000 PCA patients from 16 countries.
The researchers found that the visual-spatial symptoms of PCA typically begin affecting patients about five or six years earlier than those with the more common form of Alzheimer's.
While the exact number of people with PCA is unknown, the researchers estimate that this variant may account for up to 10 per cent of Alzheimer's cases.
This means that nearly 40,000 Australians could be living with this condition.
PCA symptoms, which also include difficulty with reading and maths, using everyday objects, and recognising faces, can affect people with no other memory problems.
This often leads individuals to believe that their issues are not neurological.
Many adults in their 50s and 60s attribute their vision disturbances to their advancing age, and instead of seeking medical care, they opt for glasses.
It's only when they finally see an ophthalmologist, who notices abnormalities in their vision test results, that they are referred to a neurologist who can identify the problem.
The usual time from experiencing the atypical visual symptoms to receiving a diagnosis is just below four years.
This delay in diagnosis highlights the need for increased awareness and better diagnostic tools for PCA.
Dr Marianne Chapleau, a co-author of the paper and researcher at the UCSF Department of Neurology, the Memory and Ageing Center, said: ‘We need more awareness of PCA so that it can be flagged by clinicians.’
‘Most patients see their optometrist when they start experiencing visual symptoms and may be referred to an ophthalmologist who may also fail to recognise PCA. We need better tools in clinical settings to identify these patients early on and get them treatment.’
In the study, the two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease measured by the researchers are tau and amyloid proteins.
Both of these proteins accumulate in the brain, forming deposits known to cause inflammation in the body and cut communication between brain cells.
People with PCA had the same levels of tau and amyloid plaques in their brains as those with the other more common forms of Alzheimer's.
This suggests that PCA is not a separate disease, but a specific subtype of Alzheimer's.
While there is still no known cure, the usual pathologies that Alzheimer's and PCA share mean that PCA patients may gain from doing a clinical trial for medications in the pipeline or talking to their provider about the US Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-amyloid drug lecanemab.
Better understanding of PCA is 'crucial for advancing both patient care and for understanding the processes that drive Alzheimer's disease,' said Senior Author Dr Gil Rabinovici, Director of the UCSF Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
He added: 'It's critical that doctors learn to recognise the syndrome so patients can receive the correct diagnosis, counselling and care.’
'From a scientific point of view, we really need to understand why Alzheimer's is specifically targeting visual rather than memory areas of the brain. Our study found that 60 per cent of patients with PCA were women—better understanding of why they appear to be more susceptible is one important area of future research.'
The research was published in the journal Lancet Neurology, and it's hoped to lead to increased awareness and better diagnostic tools for PCA.
What do you think about this surprising link between vision problems and Alzheimer's? Have you or a loved one experienced these symptoms? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below.
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