TY - JOUR

T1 - CurcuminInduced Increased Retinal Fluorescence as a New Method in the Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

AU - Струментова, Е.С.

AU - Лобзин, Владимир Юрьевич

AU - Мальцев, Д.С.

AU - Бурнашева, М.А.

AU - Сергеева, Татьяна Васильевна

AU - Буряк, Андрей Борисович

PY - 2025/9/11

Y1 - 2025/9/11

N2 - Objective. To seek an effective method for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type (MCIa) using scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) as a safe and widely available examination method. Materials and methods. A total of 45 patients (20 with AD, 10 with MCIa, and 15 healthy controls) were examined to visualize amyloid deposition in the retina using the solid lipid dietary ligand curcumin and a modified scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The total number of observations was 63, as not all patients provided the opportunity to evaluate the retinas of both eyes. All patients underwent neurological and ophthalmological examinations, neuropsychological testing (MMSE, FCSRT, clock drawing test), brain MRI for visual assessment of atrophic changes using the global cortical atrophy scale (GCA) and the medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) scale, and confocal SLO at two time points – before and during curcumin intake. Semi-automated calculation of the area (S) and number (N) of particles with peak brightness (PPB) increase was performed. Results. After intake of curcumin, the following results were obtained in patients with AD: NPPB = 167% [129; 258] (p = 0.1) and SPPB = 198% [148; 230] (p = 0.007); patients with MCIa: NPPB = 123% [114; 157] (p = 0.15) and SPPB = 129% [110; 140] (p = 0.08). Conclusions. The data obtained here indicate elevated deposition of β-amyloid protein in the retinas of patients with AD and expand the potential for its early diagnosis.

AB - Objective. To seek an effective method for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type (MCIa) using scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) as a safe and widely available examination method. Materials and methods. A total of 45 patients (20 with AD, 10 with MCIa, and 15 healthy controls) were examined to visualize amyloid deposition in the retina using the solid lipid dietary ligand curcumin and a modified scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The total number of observations was 63, as not all patients provided the opportunity to evaluate the retinas of both eyes. All patients underwent neurological and ophthalmological examinations, neuropsychological testing (MMSE, FCSRT, clock drawing test), brain MRI for visual assessment of atrophic changes using the global cortical atrophy scale (GCA) and the medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) scale, and confocal SLO at two time points – before and during curcumin intake. Semi-automated calculation of the area (S) and number (N) of particles with peak brightness (PPB) increase was performed. Results. After intake of curcumin, the following results were obtained in patients with AD: NPPB = 167% [129; 258] (p = 0.1) and SPPB = 198% [148; 230] (p = 0.007); patients with MCIa: NPPB = 123% [114; 157] (p = 0.15) and SPPB = 129% [110; 140] (p = 0.08). Conclusions. The data obtained here indicate elevated deposition of β-amyloid protein in the retinas of patients with AD and expand the potential for its early diagnosis.

KW - Alzheimer’s disease

KW - curcumin

KW - eye

KW - mild cognitive impairment

KW - retina

KW - scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

KW - β-amyloid protein

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/384997e6-8f68-3993-ac08-0117cfe09660/

U2 - 10.1007/s11055-025-01878-w

DO - 10.1007/s11055-025-01878-w

M3 - Article

VL - 55

SP - 1195

EP - 1200

JO - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

JF - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

SN - 0097-0549

IS - 7

ER -