The research, recently published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, links abnormal changes in the tiny blood vessels of the retinas of mice with a common genetic mutation known to increase Alzheimer’s disease risk.

The findings build on previous work from the same group at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), which found similar vascular changes in mice’s brains and linked abnormalities in specific retinal cells to early dementia risk, strengthening the case that the retina is a powerful biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

“If you’re at an optometrist or ophthalmologist appointment, and they can see odd vascular changes in your retina, that could potentially represent something that is also happening in your brain, which could be very informative for early diagnostics,” said Alaina Reagan, a neuroscientist at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) who led the work with Gareth Howell, professor and Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Chair for Glaucoma Research at JAX who spearheaded the previous study.