van der Heide FCT, Steens ILM, Limmen B, Mokhtar S, van Boxtel MPJ, Schram MT, Köhler S, Kroon AA, van der Kallen CJH, Dagnelie PC, van Dongen MCJM, Eussen SJPM, Berendschot TTJM, Webers CAB, van Greevenbroek MMJ, Koster A, van Sloten TT, Jansen JFA, Backes WH, Stehouwer CDA. Thinner inner retinal layers are associated with lower cognitive performance, lower brain volume, and altered white matter network structure-The Maastricht Study.
Alzheimers Dement 2024;
20:316-329. [PMID:
37611119 PMCID:
PMC10917009 DOI:
10.1002/alz.13442]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
The retina may provide non-invasive, scalable biomarkers for monitoring cerebral neurodegeneration.
METHODS
We used cross-sectional data from The Maastricht study (n = 3436; mean age 59.3 years; 48% men; and 21% with type 2 diabetes [the latter oversampled by design]). We evaluated associations of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, and inner plexiform layer thicknesses with cognitive performance and magnetic resonance imaging indices (global grey and white matter volume, hippocampal volume, whole brain node degree, global efficiency, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency).
RESULTS
After adjustment, lower thicknesses of most inner retinal layers were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance, lower grey and white matter volume, lower hippocampal volume, and worse brain white matter network structure assessed from lower whole brain node degree, lower global efficiency, higher clustering coefficient, and higher local efficiency.
DISCUSSION
The retina may provide biomarkers that are informative of cerebral neurodegenerative changes in the pathobiology of dementia.
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