Novel Diagnostic Methods for Imaging Amyloid Beta in the eye in association with alzheimer's disease

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There is no cure and no early detection method broadly available for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Definite diagnosis is only after death. AD has a large negative impact on individual health and an enormous cost to society. Early diagnosis and improved disease tracking lead to earlier and better treatment. Amyloid beta forms deposits in the brain early in AD. We will develop a simpler method to image amyloid beta deposits in the living neural tissue at the back of the eye. Campbell's group has shown that these deposits should be large enough to be detected in images of the eye. They could then be used to diagnose and monitor the worsening stages of AD. We will explore the association between amyloid beta in the retina and the severity of AD. Amyloid beta deposits in retinas will be assessed after death. We will characterize the location, density, size and shape of retinal deposits. In a separate UBC study, the stage of AD will be measured in the clinic before death. Their