Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial for prompt interventions to preserve brain function. Neuronal hyperexcitability promises a biomarker of early-stage AD. However, in vivo, detection of neuronal hyperexcitability is technically challenging. With a custom-designed optical coherence tomography (OCT), this study demonstrated the feasibility of using retinal intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging, also known as optoretinography (ORG), for detecting photoreceptor hyperexcitability associated with early-stage AD. Morphological OCT analysis revealed detectable thinning of retinal thickness in 3xTg-AD mice from 5 months of age. In contrast, functional ORG disclosed increased photoreceptor hyperexcitability of 3xTg-AD mice from 4 months of age.
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