New eye test detects earliest signs of glaucoma

A simple eye test could help solve the biggest global cause of irreversible blindness, glaucoma. In clinical trials, the pioneering diagnostic - developed by researchers at UCL and the Western Eye Hospital - allowed doctors to see individual nerve cell death in the back of the eye. Glaucoma affects 60 million people in the world, with 1 in 10 suffering total sight loss in both eyes. Early detection means doctors can start treatments before sight loss begins. The test also has potential for early diagnosis of other degenerative neurological conditions, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. Results of first clinical trials with glaucoma patients are published today in the journal Brain . Professor Francesca Cordeiro at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, who led the research, said: 'Detecting glaucoma early is vital as symptoms are not always obvious.