In the case of a neuropathy, nerves are damaged fibres, which may be due to pain, tingling, numbness, and abnormal sensations in various parts of the body are felt. The sooner the disease is treated, the better the therapies work. A step in this direction, one researcher has made the team from Germany: The scientists can diagnose the disease on the cornea of the eye, before the first symptoms occur.
In the case of a neuropathy, it is important that you will not be diagnosed as early as possible so that the damage to the nerve cells and the associated disabilities are too big. With the current method, a neuropathy but not sure of the diagnose, and a method for the early detection, there is not. To remedy this, a new measuring procedure, which the scientists have taken advantage of the fact that the nerve fiber density in the cornea is very high, and an Image of the nervous system reflects: Microscopically, one can identify shorter fibers and low branches, suggesting a neuropathy, even before the Patient has symptoms noted.
Tränenflüreliability gives information on Nervenschäthe
The team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for molecular biology and Applied Ecology and of the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg have developed a method, with the composition of tiny amounts of tear fluid can investigate. Private lecturer Dr. Marco Sisignano explained: "The cornea is not vascularized, but it is surrounded by tear fluid. If so, you can detect a regression of the nerve fibers, it must be something in the tear fluid, which causes the shortening. Therefore, we focus on the tear film." In Tests with 250 people, suffering from different neuropathies have been identified in the tear fluid typical patterns of biomarkers. Of the severity of the neuropathy can be derived, so that Doctors can get a recommendation of when therapy should be started.
First symptoms often on the fingers or Füßen
Neuropathies are associated with a variety of complaints, which usually start at the feet and fingertips. With progression of the disease, the nerve fibers back to form, which leads, in the case of the feet, difficulties in walking. The causes of the disease are numerous: Diabetes, infections, excessive alcohol consumption, dialysis, chemotherapy, or autoimmune neuropathies can cause diseases.
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