Study Finds COVID-19 Can Cause Build-up of Alzheimer’s-Related Proteins in Eyes and Brain

What do COVID-19 brain fog and ophthalmology have to do with Alzheimer’s disease? There may be more connections than one might think. Dr. Sean Miller is one of the scientists behind a recent study that used retinal tissue to investigate the links between COVID-19 infections and the build-up of amyloid and other indicators of Alzheimer’s disease in the central nervous system. Dr. Miller joins the podcast to discuss his research and its implications for COVID and dementia diagnosis and treatments in the future. Guest: Sean Miller, PhD, research scientist, department of ophthalmology and visual science, Yale School of Medicine, co-investigator, Logan Lab, Endicott College  Show Notes Read Dr. Miller’s study, “SARS-CoV-2 induces Alzheimer’s disease–related amyloid-β pathology in ex vivo human retinal explants and retinal organoids,” on the journal Science’s website. Learn more about Dr. Miller at his profile on the Yale School of Medicine website. Read “Retinal pathological features and proteome signatures of Alzheimer's disease,” mentioned by Dr. Miller at 2:50, on the National Library of Medicine website. Listen to our past episode, “Long COVID and Its Effect on Cognition,” on our website for more information on how COVID-19 can affect the brain. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s. All donations go toward outreach and production.