Eye Test Diagnoses Multiple Sclerosis


A simple eye exam could be used to detect multiple sclerosis in its early stages, researchers claim. A research paper, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, explains that specialist medical imaging technology can be used to measure thinning of the retina in people with multiple sclerosis. Researchers believe that screening for retinal thinning could enable doctors to diagnose the disabling neurological condition before other symptoms begin to manifest.

Researchers studied the health of 299 patients with multiple sclerosis over a six month period. They found that they were able to use infra-red light in optical coherence tomography - imaging equipment already used by opticians to assess vision - to successfully measure the thinning of the retina over time. Retinal thinning is one of many symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common disabling neurological diseases in the UK - with over 100,00 British people thought to suffer from the condition. Researchers hope, that in time, opticians will be able to use OCT equipment to scan for retinal thinning as part of a routine eye exam. It is hoped that this would raise the levels of early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and improve the quality of life for patients who could begin treatment without waiting for their symptoms progressively worsen.

9th June 2010

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