Within the next few years, doctors may be able to spot signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias using routine eye exams well before symptoms appear, a new study suggests. The research, recently published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, links abnormal changes in the tiny blood vessels of the retinas of mice with a common genetic mutation known to increase Alzheimer’s disease risk.

University of Iowa researchers have successfully tested a gene-treatment technique to prevent craniosynostosis, a condition that causes infants’ skulls to close prematurely. The experiments, conducted in mice, may lead to clinical human trials in the next one to two years. Results published in the journal Science Advances.