Neurologist says early Alzheimer's warning sign could be spotted in your vision

A neurologist has claimed that a problem with your vision could be an early warning sign of dementia. Dr Marianne Chapleau wants people to be aware of the symptoms so the condition can be detected sooner.

Researchers working with the University of California in San Francisco have suggested that the very first signs of dementia could be flagged up by ophthalmologists. Looking for posterior cortical atrophy or PCA, also known to doctors as Benson's syndrome, could help to diagnose dementia early on, the researchers said.

PCA is sometimes described as a visual variant of Alzheimer's disease and it impacts the areas in the brain responsible for spelling, calculation, spatial perception and complex visual processing. Dr Chapleau, who is a neurologist from the university's Department of Neurology, argues that diagnosing the condition faster and more often could help many more patients who are in the first stages of developing Alzheimer's disease.

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Dr Chapleau, whose full research paper was published in The Lancet, said: "Most patients see their optometrist when they start experiencing visual symptoms and may be referred to an ophthalmologist who may also fail to recognize PCA. We need better tools in clinical settings to identify these patients early on and get them treatment."

The signs of PCA become apparent before the age of 60, on average, usually before the first signs of memory loss and confusion appear in those developing Alzheimer's disease, The Express reports.

Dr Chapleau's research claims people with PCA first visit a doctor on average 3.8 years after symptoms appear.