Dementia research news autumn 16 in brief

Research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference found that people with good vision but a thinner nerve fibre layer at the back of their eyes were more likely to experience memory and thinking problems. Further research is needed but this could be a useful diagnostic tool in the future.

A 'risk score' based on whether someone has particular genes could help to identify people who are more likely to develop Alzheimer's. There are several genes that are known to contribute slightly towards developing the disease - understanding the combined effect of these genes could help to determine who is most at risk.

Researchers have used computer models to identify a key step in the formation of the toxic amyloid clumps that are associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. This provides important information about how we might prevent these clumps from forming in the future.