In a recent study, Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui and Keith Black at Cedars-Sinai  used a retina scan to detect amyloid-beta deposits, a predictor of Alzheimer’s disease, up to 20 years before symptoms.

16 Alzheimer’s patients drank a curcumin solution, which caused amyloid plaque in the retina to “light up” and be detected. Another key finding was the discovery of amyloid plaques in peripheral regions of the retina, which correlated with plaque amount in specific areas of the brain.

Keith Black presented this research at ApplySci’s April, 2016 Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech conference in San Francisco.  His dedication to finding non-invasive, more humane tests and treatments for brain diseases was apparent throughout his talk.  May his vision of  early detection, leading to early medical and lifestyle changes to impact the course of the disease, be widely adopted.