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Chaitanuwong P, Singhanetr P, Chainakul M, Arjkongharn N, Ruamviboonsuk P, Grzybowski A. Potential Ocular Biomarkers for Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease and Their Roles in Artificial Intelligence Studies. Neurol Ther 2023; 12:1517-1532. [PMID: 37468682 PMCID: PMC10444735 DOI: 10.1007/s40120-023-00526-0] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Early detection is believed to be essential to disease management because it enables physicians to initiate treatment in patients with early-stage AD (early AD), with the possibility of stopping the disease or slowing disease progression, preserving function and ultimately reducing disease burden. The purpose of this study was to review prior research on the use of eye biomarkers and artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting AD and early AD. The PubMed database was searched to identify studies for review. Ocular biomarkers in AD research and AI research on AD were reviewed and summarized. According to numerous studies, there is a high likelihood that ocular biomarkers can be used to detect early AD: tears, corneal nerves, retina, visual function and, in particular, eye movement tracking have been identified as ocular biomarkers with the potential to detect early AD. However, there is currently no ocular biomarker that can be used to definitely detect early AD. A few studies that used AI with ocular biomarkers to detect AD reported promising results, demonstrating that using AI with ocular biomarkers through multimodal imaging could improve the accuracy of identifying AD patients. This strategy may become a screening tool for detecting early AD in older patients prior to the onset of AD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pareena Chaitanuwong
- Ophthalmology Department, Rajavithi Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panisa Singhanetr
- Mettapracharak Eye Institute, Mettapracharak (Wat Rai Khing) Hospital, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Methaphon Chainakul
- Ophthalmology Department, Rajavithi Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Niracha Arjkongharn
- Ophthalmology Department, Rajavithi Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paisan Ruamviboonsuk
- Ophthalmology Department, Rajavithi Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Andrzej Grzybowski
- Institute of Research in Ophthalmology, Foundation for Ophthalmology Development, Mickiewicza 24/3B, 60-836, Poznan, Poland.
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2
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Miscioscia A, Puthenparampil M, Blasi L, Rinaldi F, Perini P, Sorarù G, Gallo P. Neurodegeneration in the retina of motoneuron diseases: a longitudinal study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Kennedy's disease. J Neurol 2023; 270:4478-4486. [PMID: 37289322 PMCID: PMC10421755 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11802-2] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To what extent retinal atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases reflects the severity and/or the chronicity of brain pathology or is a local independent phenomenon remains to be clarified. Moreover, whether retinal atrophy has a clinical (diagnostic and prognostic) value in these diseases remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To add light on the pathological significance and clinical value of retinal atrophy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Kennedy's disease (KD). METHODS Thirty-five ALS, thirty-seven KD, and forty-nine age-matched healthy controls (HC) were included in a one-year longitudinal study. Spectrum-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed at study entry (T0) and after 12 months (T1). Disease duration and functional rating scale (FRS) for ALS and KD patients were correlated to retinal thicknesses. RESULTS Compared to HC, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness was significantly thinner in both ALS (p = 0.034) and KD (p = 0.003). pRNFL was thinner in KD compared to ALS, but the difference was not significant. In KD, pRNFL atrophy significantly correlated with both disease severity (r = 0.296, p = 0.035) and disease duration (r = - 0.308, p = 0.013) while no significant correlation was found in ALS (disease severity: r = 0.147, p = 0.238; disease duration: r = - 0.093, p = 0.459). During the follow-up, pRNFL thickness remained stable in KD while significantly decreased in ALS (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS Our study provides evidence of retinal atrophy in both ALS and KD and suggests that retinal thinning is a primary local phenomenon in motoneuron diseases. The clinical value of pRNFL atrophy in KD is worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Miscioscia
- Department of Neurosciences, DNS, School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre of the Veneto Region (CeSMuV), Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padua, Italy.
| | - Marco Puthenparampil
- Department of Neurosciences, DNS, School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre of the Veneto Region (CeSMuV), Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Blasi
- Department of Neurosciences, DNS, School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Neuromuscular Center, Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Francesca Rinaldi
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre of the Veneto Region (CeSMuV), Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Perini
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre of the Veneto Region (CeSMuV), Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Gianni Sorarù
- Department of Neurosciences, DNS, School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Neuromuscular Center, Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paolo Gallo
- Department of Neurosciences, DNS, School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre of the Veneto Region (CeSMuV), Neurology Clinic, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padua, Italy
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3
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Barrett-Young A, Abraham WC, Cheung CY, Gale J, Hogan S, Ireland D, Keenan R, Knodt AR, Melzer TR, Moffitt TE, Ramrakha S, Tham YC, Wilson GA, Wong TY, Hariri AR, Poulton R. Associations Between Thinner Retinal Neuronal Layers and Suboptimal Brain Structural Integrity in a Middle-Aged Cohort. Eye Brain 2023; 15:25-35. [PMID: 36936476 PMCID: PMC10018220 DOI: 10.2147/eb.s402510] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The retina has potential as a biomarker of brain health and Alzheimer's disease (AD) because it is the only part of the central nervous system which can be easily imaged and has advantages over brain imaging technologies. Few studies have compared retinal and brain measurements in a middle-aged sample. The objective of our study was to investigate whether retinal neuronal measurements were associated with structural brain measurements in a middle-aged population-based cohort. Participants and Methods Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (n=1037; a longitudinal cohort followed from birth and at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 26, 32, 38, and most recently at age 45, when 94% of the living Study members participated). Retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Brain age gap estimate (brainAGE), cortical surface area, cortical thickness, subcortical grey matter volumes, white matter hyperintensities, were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results Participants with both MRI and OCT data were included in the analysis (RNFL n=828, female n=413 [49.9%], male n=415 [50.1%]; GC-IPL n=825, female n=413 [50.1%], male n=412 [49.9%]). Thinner retinal neuronal layers were associated with older brain age, smaller cortical surface area, thinner average cortex, smaller subcortical grey matter volumes, and increased volume of white matter hyperintensities. Conclusion These findings provide evidence that the retinal neuronal layers reflect differences in midlife structural brain integrity consistent with increased risk for later AD, supporting the proposition that the retina may be an early biomarker of brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carol Y Cheung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jesse Gale
- Department of Surgery & Anaesthesia, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Sean Hogan
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David Ireland
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Ross Keenan
- Department of Radiology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Pacific Radiology Group, Christchurch, New Zealand
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Annchen R Knodt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tracy R Melzer
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Yih Chung Tham
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Graham A Wilson
- Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tien Yin Wong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ahmad R Hariri
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Richie Poulton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Costanzo E, Lengyel I, Parravano M, Biagini I, Veldsman M, Badhwar A, Betts M, Cherubini A, Llewellyn DJ, Lourida I, MacGillivray T, Rittman T, Tamburin S, Tai XY, Virgili G. Ocular Biomarkers for Alzheimer Disease Dementia: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. JAMA Ophthalmol 2023; 141:84-91. [PMID: 36394831 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.4845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Importance Several ocular biomarkers have been proposed for the early detection of Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA). Objective To perform an umbrella review of systematic reviews to assess the diagnostic accuracy of ocular biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Data Sources MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched from January 2000 to November 2021. The references of included reviews were also searched. Study Selection Systematic reviews investigating the diagnostic accuracy of ocular biomarkers to detect AD and MCI, in secondary care or memory clinics, against established clinical criteria or clinical judgment. Data Extraction and Synthesis The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline checklist was followed and the Risk Of Bias in Systematic reviews tool was used to assess review quality. Main Outcomes and Measures The prespecified outcome was the accuracy of ocular biomarkers for diagnosing AD and MCI. The area under the curve (AUC) was derived from standardized mean difference. Results From the 591 titles, 14 systematic reviews were included (median [range] number of studies in each review, 14 [5-126]). Only 4 reviews were at low risk of bias on all Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews domains. The imaging-derived parameters with the most evidence for detecting AD compared with healthy controls were OCT peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (38 studies including 1883 patients with AD and 2510 controls; AUC = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.79); OCTA foveal avascular zone (5 studies including 177 patients with AD and 371 controls; AUC = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.50-0.89); and saccadic eye movements prosaccade latency (30 studies including 651 patients with AD/MCI and 771 controls; AUC = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.58-0.69). Antisaccade error was investigated in fewer studies (12 studies including 424 patients with AD/MCI and 382 controls) and yielded the best accuracy (AUC = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70-0.88). Conclusions and Relevance This umbrella review has highlighted limitations in design and reporting of the existing research on ocular biomarkers for diagnosing AD. Parameters with the best evidence showed poor to moderate diagnostic accuracy in cross-sectional studies. Future longitudinal studies should investigate whether changes in OCT and OCTA measurements over time can yield accurate predictions of AD onset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Imre Lengyel
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ilaria Biagini
- Department NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Veldsman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - AmanPreet Badhwar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada.,Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Geriatrie, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Matthew Betts
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Antonio Cherubini
- Geriatria, Accettazione geriatrica e Centro di ricerca per l'invecchiamento, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | - David J Llewellyn
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Ilianna Lourida
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Tom MacGillivray
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Rittman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Tamburin
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Xin You Tai
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gianni Virgili
- Department NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Patients with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty maintaining independent living abilities as the disease progresses, causing an increased burden of care on family caregivers and the healthcare system and related financial strain. This patient group is expected to continue to expand as life expectancy climbs. Current diagnostics for Alzheimer's disease are complex, unaffordable, and invasive without regard to diagnosis quality at early stages, which urgently calls for more technical improvements for diagnosis specificity. Optical coherence tomography or tomographic angiography has been shown to identify retinal thickness loss and lower vascular density present earlier than symptom onset in these patients. The retina is an extension of the central nervous system and shares anatomic and functional similarities with the brain. Ophthalmological examinations can be an efficient tool to offer a window into cerebral pathology with the merit of easy operation. In this review, we summarized the latest observations on retinal pathology in Alzheimer's disease and discussed the feasibility of retinal imaging in diagnostic prediction, as well as limitations in current retinal examinations for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Xia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Qin
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yankun Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunsi Yin
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Tang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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6
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Giuliani G, Sborgia G, Niro A, Castellana F, Lampignano L, Puzo P, Pascale A, Pastore V, Buonamassa R, Galati R, Bordinone M, Cassano F, Clemente A, Landini L, Scotti G, Gaudiomonte M, Guglielmi A, Semeraro R, Santoro M, Alessio G, Sardone R, Boscia F. Correlation between retinal vessel rarefaction and psychometric measures in an older Southern Italian population. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:999796. [PMID: 36212041 PMCID: PMC9541429 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.999796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore the linear association between inner retinal layers thickness and macular capillary density compared to variations of global cognition evaluated by psychometric measures in a cohort of Mediterranean subjects aged 65+ years. Materials and methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 574 participants aged 65 years+ drawn from a population-based Southern Italian study. All subjects underwent neurological evaluations, including global cognitive screening, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and frontal assessment battery (FAB), together with an ophthalmic examination including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-Angiography. We assessed the average thickness of the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), the foveal avascular zone area, and vascular density (VD) of superficial (SVD) and deep (DVD) capillary plexi at the foveal and parafoveal area. Linear regression was applied to assess associations of ocular measurements with MMSE and FAB scores. Results In the linear regression model, foveal DVD (beta = 0.01, 95% CI:0.004–0.052), whole DVD (beta = 0.04, 95% CI:0.02–0.08), and whole SVD (beta = 0.04, 95% CI:0.02–0.07) showed a positive association with MMSE. In addition, foveal SVD (beta = 0.01, 95% CI:0.003–0.05) and whole SVD (beta = 0.03, 95% CI:0.004–0.08) were positively associated with the FAB score. We found no further significant association between the MMSE score or the FAB score and the average thickness of the GCC and RNFL, and FAZ area. Conclusion A direct linear association between the VD of the macular capillary plexi with global and frontal cognitive functions was observed in elderly subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Giuliani
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Sborgia
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Alfredo Niro
- Eye Clinic, Hospital “SS Annunziata,” ASL Taranto, Taranto, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alfredo Niro,
| | - Fabio Castellana
- Unit of Research Methodology and Data Sciences for Population Health, “Salus in Apulia Study,” National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - Luisa Lampignano
- Unit of Research Methodology and Data Sciences for Population Health, “Salus in Apulia Study,” National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - Pasquale Puzo
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Angelo Pascale
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Valentina Pastore
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Rosa Buonamassa
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberta Galati
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Marco Bordinone
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Flavio Cassano
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Clemente
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Luca Landini
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Giacomo Scotti
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Marida Gaudiomonte
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonella Guglielmi
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Semeraro
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Santoro
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Alessio
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Sardone
- Unit of Research Methodology and Data Sciences for Population Health, “Salus in Apulia Study,” National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Boscia
- Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
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Pelak VS, Paez YM, Patnaik JL, Holden SK, Subramanian PS, Mathias MT, Mandava N, Lynch AM. An Exploratory Study to Investigate the Utility of Clinical Screening for Neurodegenerative Disease in Age-Related Eye Disease Research. J Neuroophthalmol 2022; 42:346-352. [PMID: 35483065 PMCID: PMC9529756 DOI: 10.1097/wno.0000000000001550] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unrecognized neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) in age-related eye disease research studies have the potential to confound vision-specific quality of life and retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) outcome measures. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate relationships between NDD screening tools and visual outcome measures in a small cohort of controls from the Colorado Age-Related Macular Degeneration Registry (CO-AMD), to consider the utility of future studies. METHODS Twenty-nine controls from the CO-AMD were screened using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a Colorado Parkinsonian Checklist, and the Lewy Body Composite Risk Score. Univariate and multivariable linear regression modeling was used to assess associations between screening tools and the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) and macular OCT outcome measures, and t tests were used to evaluate outcome measure differences between those with normal vs abnormal MoCA scores. RESULTS One patient withdrew. The average age was 72.8 years, and 68% were female patients. Ten participants (36%) had abnormal MoCA scores, and their VFQ-25 scores were only 1 point less and not statistically different than those with normal MoCA scores. Macular OCT volumes and thicknesses for retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and retinal ganglion cell layer were consistently and moderately lower for those with abnormal MoCA scores, and a positive association between MoCA and macular RNFL volume was observed, although differences and regression were not significant. Parkinson screening tests were abnormal for only 4 participants and were not associated with OCT or VFQ-25 measures by regression modeling. CONCLUSIONS Given the degree and direction of observed differences, further investigation is warranted regarding the relationship between cognitive screening tools and macular OCT measures in age-related eye disease research, but future investigations regarding the relationship between NDD screening tools and VFQ-25 seem unwarranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S. Pelak
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yosbelkys Martin Paez
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Patnaik
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Samantha K. Holden
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Prem S. Subramanian
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc T. Mathias
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Naresh Mandava
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Anne M. Lynch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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8
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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van der Heide FCT, van Sloten TT, Willekens N, Stehouwer CDA. Neurovascular coupling unit dysfunction and dementia: Retinal measurements as tools to move towards population-based evidence. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1014287. [PMID: 36506058 PMCID: PMC9727310 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1014287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit may be an important contributor to dementia. The neurovascular coupling unit comprises neuronal structures (e.g. astrocytes) and vascular structures (e.g. endothelial cells) that functionally interact both at the level of the arterioles as well as at the capillary level (blood-brain barrier) to regulate optimal metabolic conditions in the brain. However, it remains unclear how and to what extent dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit contributes to the early-stage pathobiology of dementia. Currently, limited data are available on the association between neurovascular coupling unit dysfunction, as quantified by cerebral imaging techniques, and cognitive performance. In particular, there is a lack of population-based human data (defined as studies with a sample size ~n>500). This is an important limitation because population-based studies, in comparison with smaller clinical studies, provide data which is better representative of the general population; are less susceptible to selection bias; and have a larger statistical power to detect small associations. To acquire population-based data, however, alternative imaging techniques than cerebral imaging techniques may be required. Disadvantages of cerebral imaging techniques, which limit use in population-based studies, are that these techniques are relatively expensive, time-consuming, and/or invasive. In this review, we propose that retinal imaging techniques can be used for population-based studies: on the one hand the retina and brain have many anatomical and physiological similarities; and on the other hand retinal imaging techniques are non-invasive, highly accurate, relatively inexpensive, and require relatively short measurement time. To provide support for this concept, we provide an overview on the human (population-based) evidence on the associations of retinal indices of neurodegeneration, microvascular dysfunction, and dysfunction of the neurovascular coupling unit with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of structural brain abnormalities and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank C. T. van der Heide
- CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, MUMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, MUMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Frank C. T. van der Heide,
| | - Thomas T. van Sloten
- CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Nele Willekens
- CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Coen D. A. Stehouwer
- CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands
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10
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Mei X, Qiu C, Zhou Q, Chen Z, Chen Y, Xu Z, Zou C. Changes in retinal multilayer thickness and vascular network of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Biomed Eng Online 2021; 20:97. [PMID: 34602087 PMCID: PMC8489058 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-021-00931-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retinal biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been extensively investigated in recent decades. Retinal nervous and vascular parameters can reflect brain conditions, and they can facilitate early diagnosis of AD. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to evaluate the difference in retinal neuro-layer thickness and vascular parameters of patients with AD and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS Non-invasive optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to determine the combined thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL), as well as the full retinal thickness (FRT). The vascular branching (VB), vascular curvature (VC), and vascular density (VD) for AD and HC groups were also obtained. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate the cognitive performance of all the participants. After obtaining all the parameters, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean values of all the retinal parameters of the patients with AD and the HCs. Pearson's correlation was used to test the association between retinal parameters, MMSE scores, and vascular parameters. RESULTS Seventy-eight eyes from 39 participants (19 AD and 20 HC; male, 52.6% in AD and 45.0% in HC; mean [standard deviation] age of 73.79 [7.22] years in AD and 74.35 [6.07] years in HC) were included for the analysis. The average RNFL + GCL thickness (106.32 ± 7.34 μm), FRTs of the four quadrants (290.35 ± 13.05 μm of inferior quadrant, 294.68 ± 9.37 μm of superior quadrant, 302.97 ± 6.52 μm of nasal quadrant, 286.02 ± 13.74 μm of temporal quadrant), and retinal VD (0.0148 ± 0.003) of patients with AD, compared with the HCs, were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Retinal thickness was significantly correlated with the MMSE scores (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, retinal VD was significantly correlated with the average RNFL + GCL thickness (r2 = 0.2146, p < 0.01). When the vascular parameters were considered, the sensitivity of the AD diagnosis was increased from 0.874 to 0.892. CONCLUSION Our study suggested that the patients with AD, compared with age-matched HCs, had significantly reduced RNFL + GCL thickness and vascular density. These reductions correlated with the cognitive performance of the participants. By combining nerve and vessel parameters, the diagnosis of AD can be improved using OCTA technology. Trail registration Name of the registry: Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, Trial registration number: ChiCTR2000035243, Date of registration: Aug. 5, 2020. URL of trial registry record: http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Mei
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Conglong Qiu
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhongming Chen
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zemin Xu
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chenjun Zou
- Kangning Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Zhuangyu South Road 1#, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
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11
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Moons L, De Groef L. Multimodal retinal imaging to detect and understand Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 72:1-7. [PMID: 34399146 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Retinal neurodegeneration and visual dysfunctions have been reported in a majority of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients, and, in light of the quest for novel biomarkers for these neurodegenerative proteinopathies, the retina has been receiving increasing attention as an organ for diagnosing, monitoring, and understanding disease. Thinning of retinal layers, abnormalities in vasculature, and protein deposition can be imaged at unprecedented resolution, which offers a unique systems biology view on the cellular and molecular changes underlying these pathologies. It makes the retina not only a promising target for biomarker development, but it also suggests that novel fundamental insights into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease can be obtained by studying the retina-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieve Moons
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Biology Department, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 61 Box 2464, Leuven, 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
| | - Lies De Groef
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Biology Department, University of Leuven, Naamsestraat 61 Box 2464, Leuven, 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
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Galvin JE, Kleiman MJ, Walker M. Using Optical Coherence Tomography to Screen for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 84:723-736. [PMID: 34569948 PMCID: PMC10731579 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210328] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Screening for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could increase case identification, enhance clinical trial enrollment, and enable early intervention. MCI and ADRD screening would be most beneficial if detection measures reflect neurodegenerative changes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be a marker of neurodegeneration (part of the amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration (ATN) framework). OBJECTIVE To determine whether OCT measurements can be used as a screening measure to detect individuals with MCI and ADRD. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 136 participants with comprehensive clinical, cognitive, functional, and behavioral evaluations including OCT with a subset (n = 76) completing volumetric MRI. Pearson correlation coefficients tested strength of association between OCT and outcome measures. Receiver operator characteristic curves assessed the ability of OCT, patient-reported outcomes, and cognitive performance measures to discriminate between individuals with and without cognitive impairment. RESULTS After controlling for age, of the 6 OCT measurements collected, granular cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCL + IPL) thickness best correlated with memory, global cognitive performance, Clinical Dementia Rating, and hippocampal atrophy. GCL + IPL thickness provided good discrimination in cognitive status with a cut-off score of 75μm. Combining GCL + IPL thickness as a proxy marker for hippocampal atrophy with a brief patient-reported outcome and performance measure correctly classified 87%of MCI and ADRD participants. CONCLUSION Multimodal approaches may improve recognition of MCI and ADRD. OCT has the potential to be a practical, non-invasive biomarker for ADRD providing a screening platform to quickly identify at-risk individuals for further clinical evaluation or research enrollment.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E. Galvin
- Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael J. Kleiman
- Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Marcia Walker
- Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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