Thinning Retina May Be A Sign Of Declining Cognitive Function, Researchers Say.
MedPage Today 
(7/27, Fiore) reports, “A thinning retina may be a sign of declining cognitive function,” research indicated. After analyzing “data from the UK Biobank,” investigators found that a “thinner retinal nerve fiber layer at baseline was associated with worse performance on cognitive testing three years later.” The findings of the 32,028-participant study were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Meanwhile, a second study revealed that “polarized light could detect amyloid deposits in the retina, which could ultimately be used as a non-invasive way to predict cognitive decline.” Commenting on the latter study, Eliezer Masliah, MD, of the National Institute on Aging, “said that ‘whatever happens in the retina could be reflective of what’s happening in the central nervous system.’” Dr. Masliah was not involved in either study. Medscape (7/27, Anderson) covers the first study.