Optical Coherence Tomography Assessment of Macular Thickness in Alzheimer's Dementia with Different Neuropsychological Severities.
Chia-Chen KaoHui-Min HsiehYo-Chen ChangHui-Chen ChuYuan-Han YangShwu-Jiuan SheuPublished in: Journal of personalized medicine (2023)
This retrospective case-control study aimed to investigate associations between disease severity of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and macular thickness. Data of patients with AD who were under medication (n = 192) between 2013 and 2020, as well as an age- and sex-matched control group (n = 200) with normal cognitive function, were included. AD patients were divided into subgroups according to scores of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Macular thickness was analyzed via the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid map. AD patients had significant reductions in full macula layers, including inner circle, outer inferior area, and outer nasal area of the macula. Similar retinal thinning was noted in ganglion cells and inner plexiform layers. Advanced AD patients (MMSE score < 18 or CDR ≥ 1) showed more advanced reduction of macular thickness than the AD group (CDR = 0.5 or MMSE ≥ 18), indicating that severe cognitive impairment was associated with thinner macular thickness. Advanced AD is associated with significant macula thinning in full retina and inner plexiform layers, especially at the inner circle of the macula. Macular thickness may be a useful biomarker of AD disease severity. Retinal imaging may be a non-invasive, low-cost surrogate for AD.
Keyphrases
- optical coherence tomography
- diabetic retinopathy
- end stage renal disease
- optic nerve
- cognitive impairment
- chronic kidney disease
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- mild cognitive impairment
- prognostic factors
- cognitive decline
- signaling pathway
- high resolution
- low cost
- spinal cord injury
- patient reported outcomes
- cell proliferation
- neuropathic pain
- spinal cord
- machine learning
- photodynamic therapy
- replacement therapy
- electronic health record
- age related macular degeneration
- cell cycle arrest