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Braun M, Saini C, Sun JA, Shen LQ. The Role of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Glaucoma. Semin Ophthalmol 2024; 39:412-423. [PMID: 38643350 DOI: 10.1080/08820538.2024.2343049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and comprises a group of chronic optic neuropathies characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss. Various etiologies, including impaired blood supply to the optic nerve, have been implicated for glaucoma pathogenesis. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive imaging modality for visualizing the ophthalmic microvasculature. Using blood flow as an intrinsic contrast agent, it distinguishes blood vessels from the surrounding tissue. Vessel density (VD) is mainly used as a metric for quantifying the ophthalmic microvasculature. The key anatomic regions for OCTA in glaucoma are the optic nerve head area including the peripapillary region, and the macular region. Specifically, VD of the superficial peripapillary and superficial macular microvasculature is reduced in glaucoma patients compared to unaffected subjects, and VD correlates with functional deficits measured by visual field (VF). This renders OCTA similar in diagnostic capabilities compared to structural retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements, especially in early glaucoma. Furthermore, in cases where RNFL thickness measurements are limited due to artifact or floor effect, OCTA technology can be used to evaluate and monitor glaucoma, such as in eyes with high myopia and eyes with advanced glaucoma. However, the clinical utility of OCTA in glaucoma management is limited due to the prevalence of imaging artifacts. Overall, OCTA can play a complementary role in structural OCT imaging and VF testing to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Braun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Chhavi Saini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica A Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lucy Q Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Ibrahim Y, Xie J, Macerollo A, Sardone R, Shen Y, Romano V, Zheng Y. A Systematic Review on Retinal Biomarkers to Diagnose Dementia from OCT/OCTA Images. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2023; 7:1201-1235. [PMID: 38025800 PMCID: PMC10657718 DOI: 10.3233/adr-230042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Traditional methods for diagnosing dementia are costly, time-consuming, and somewhat invasive. Since the retina shares significant anatomical similarities with the brain, retinal abnormalities detected via optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have been studied as a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool for neurodegenerative disorders; however, the most effective retinal changes remain a mystery to be unraveled in this review. Objective This study aims to explore the relationship between retinal abnormalities in OCT/OCTA images and cognitive decline as well as evaluating biomarkers' effectiveness in detecting neurodegenerative diseases. Methods A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until December 2022, resulted in 64 papers using agreed search keywords, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results The superior peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) is a trustworthy biomarker to identify most Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases; however, it is inefficient when dealing with mild AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The global pRNFL (pRNFL-G) is another reliable biomarker to discriminate frontotemporal dementia from mild AD and healthy controls (HCs), moderate AD and MCI from HCs, as well as identifing pathological Aβ42/tau in cognitively healthy individuals. Conversely, pRNFL-G fails to realize mild AD and the progression of AD. The average pRNFL thickness variation is considered a viable biomarker to monitor the progression of AD. Finally, the superior and average pRNFL thicknesses are considered consistent for advanced AD but not for early/mild AD. Conclusions Retinal changes may indicate dementia, but further research is needed to confirm the most effective biomarkers for early and mild AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehia Ibrahim
- Department of Eye and Vision Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jianyang Xie
- Department of Eye and Vision Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Antonella Macerollo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rodolfo Sardone
- Department of Eye and Vision Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Local Healthcare Authority of Taranto, Taranto, Italy
| | - Yaochun Shen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Vito Romano
- Department of Eye and Vision Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Yalin Zheng
- Department of Eye and Vision Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK
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Zhao B, Yan Y, Wu X, Geng Z, Wu Y, Xiao G, Wang L, Zhou S, Wei L, Wang K, Liao R. The correlation of retinal neurodegeneration and brain degeneration in patients with Alzheimer's disease using optical coherence tomography angiography and MRI. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1089188. [PMID: 37122375 PMCID: PMC10130430 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1089188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease can cause retina and optic nerve degeneration. The retinal changes are correlated with cognitive function. This study aimed to explore the relationship of retinal differences with neuroimaging in patients with Alzheimer's disease, analyze the association of cognitive function with retinal structure and vascular density, and identify potential additional biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Method We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and neuropsychological assessments in 28 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and 28 healthy controls. Retinal structure and vascular density were evaluated by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between neuroimaging and OCTA parameters in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease with adjustment for age, gender, years of education, and hypertension. Results In patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, OCTA-detected retinal parameters were not significantly correlated with MRI-detected neuroimaging parameters after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Under multivariable analysis controlled for age, gender, years of education, and hypertension, the S-Hemi (0-3) sector of macular thickness was significantly associated with Mini-cog (β = 0.583, P = 0.002) with Bonferroni-corrected threshold at P < 0.003. Conclusion Our findings suggested decreased macular thickness might be associated with cognitive function in mild AD patients. However, the differences in retinal parameters didn't correspond to MRI-detected parameters in this study. Whether OCTA can be used as a new detection method mirroring MRI for evaluating the effect of neuronal degeneration in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease still needs to be investigated by more rigorous and larger studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingying Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yibing Yan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Xingqi Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Zhi Geng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Guixian Xiao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Kai Wang,
| | - Rongfeng Liao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Rongfeng Liao,
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Chiara C, Gilda C, Daniela M, Antonio C, Miriana M, Marcello M, Elena S, Roberta L, Ciro C, Vincenzo BM. A two-year longitudinal study of retinal vascular impairment in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:993621. [PMID: 36420311 PMCID: PMC9678013 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.993621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveTo evaluate the relation between retinal vascular impairment and cognitive decline in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) over time.MethodsSpectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCT angiography study was performed in aMCI patients over 2 years follow-up and compared to baseline.ResultsThirty-eight eyes from 19 aMCI patients were evaluated. Structural and vascular OCT measures were reduced at follow-up except for vessel density (VD) of the choriocapillaris, unchanged, and foveal avascular zone, which was increased; no changes in any parameter were found in 18 age-matched healthy controls. Overall, these findings were confirmed when patients were evaluated separately according to progression to dementia. Only non-converters to dementia showed significant VD reduction in the deep capillary plexuses (coeff. β = −4.20; p < 0.001), may be for an initial massive VD depletion becoming less evident with progression of the disease. MMSE reduction was associated with a higher ganglion cell complex reduction (coeff. β = 0.10; p = 0.04) and a higher VD reduction in the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) plexus (coeff. β = 0.14; p = 0.02) in the whole patient group, while it was associated with a higher VD reduction only in RPC plexus in converters (coeff. β = 0.21; p < 0.001).ConclusionOur data shows vascular impairment progression in the inner retina of aMCI patients and support the hypothesis that vascular changes may contribute to the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Other follow-up studies, with a larger number of patients, are needed to better define VD as a potential biomarker.
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Jeevakumar V, Sefton R, Chan J, Gopinath B, Liew G, Shah TM, Siette J. Association between retinal markers and cognition in older adults: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054657. [PMID: 35728906 PMCID: PMC9214387 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To appraise the existing literature reporting an association between retinal markers and cognitive impairment in adults aged 65 years and over and to provide directions for future use of retinal scanning as a potential tool for dementia diagnosis. DESIGN Systematic review of peer-reviewed empirical articles investigating the association of retinal markers in assessing cognitive impairment. DATA SOURCES Three electronic databases, Medline, PsycINFO and EMBASE were searched from inception until March 2022. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA All empirical articles in English investigating the association between retinal markers and cognition in humans aged ≥65 years using various retinal scanning methodologies were included. Studies with no explicit evaluation of retinal scanning and cognitive outcomes were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Data extraction was conducted by two authors (VJ, RS) and reviewed by another author (JS). Results were synthesised and described narratively. RESULTS Sixty-seven eligible studies examining 6815 older adults were included. Majority of studies were cross-sectional (n=60; 89.6%). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was the most commonly used retinal scanning methodology to measure the thickness of retinal nerve fibre layer, the ganglion cell complex, choroid and macula. 51.1% of cross-sectional studies using OCT reported an association between the thinning of at least one retinal parameter and poor cognition. Longitudinal studies (n=6) using OCT also mostly identified significant reductions in retinal nerve fibre layer thickness with cognitive decline. Study quality was overall moderate. CONCLUSION Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness is linked with cognitive performance and therefore may have the potential to detect cognitive impairment in older adults. Further longitudinal studies are required to validate our synthesis and understand underlying mechanisms before recommending implementation of OCT as a dementia screening tool in clinical practice. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020176757.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varshanie Jeevakumar
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebekah Sefton
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joyce Chan
- New Look Eyewear, Maitland, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bamini Gopinath
- Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gerald Liew
- Centre for Vision Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tejal M Shah
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joyce Siette
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
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