India, March 9 -- A vision scientist in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry is conducting research to evaluate how changes in the retina might play a role in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. These findings could lead to non-invasive, low-cost tests and the early diagnosis of the disease, which progresses for decades before symptoms of dementia emerge.

Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting approximately 6.7 million Americans age 65 or older, is the most common cause of dementia in elderly people. By 2060, the affected population is projected to reach 13.8 million unless effective interventions or treatments become available.

In 2023, Edmund Arthur, O.D., Ph.D., was awarded a $408,37...