Article dated 08 Jun 2010 (Medical News Today – see link)
Researchers found that a quick, painless eye measurement shows promise as a way to diagnose MS in its very early stages, and to even track the effectiveness of treatments…:
Dr. Elliot Frohman said that “this technique has the potential to provide a powerful and reliable assessment strategy to measure structural changes in the central nervous system, both for diagnostic purposes and in clinical trials to monitor whether potential treatments can prevent deterioration or restore nerve function“.
The technique, called optical coherence tomography (OCT), reliably measures thinning of the retina in people with multiple sclerosis, the researchers found.
“An ophthalmologist might someday be able to use OCT to identify retinal thinning during a routine eye exam and consider MS as a prime diagnosis,” Dr. Frohman said.
The research highlights how retinal thinning can occur as a result of MS. The researchers found that the retinas thinned significantly with time, and patients often concurrently lost visual sharpness. Overall, the study indicated that OCT is reliable, easy to use and sensitive to changes over time.
For some more details on this article follow the above mentioned link to the right.. ; )
Multiple Sclerosis & Life 