Retinal microvascular network attenuation in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Introduction Cerebral small‐vessel disease has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The retinal microvasculature enables the noninvasive visualization and evaluation of the systemic microcirculation. We evaluated retinal microvascular parameters in a case‐control study of AD patients and cognitively normal controls. Methods Retinal images were computationally analyzed and quantitative retinal parameters (caliber, fractal dimension, tortuosity, and bifurcation) measured. Regression models were used to compute odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) for AD with adjustment for confounders. Results Retinal images were available in 213 AD participants and 294 cognitively normal controls. Persons with lower venular fractal dimension (OR per standard deviation [SD] increase, 0.77 [CI: 0.62–0.97]) and lower arteriolar tortuosity (OR per SD increase, 0.78 [CI: 0.63–0.97]) were more likely to have AD after appropriate adjustment. Discussion Patients with AD have a sparser retinal microvascular network and retinal microvascular variation may represent similar pathophysiological events within the cerebral microvasculature of patients with AD.

Cited by papers we hold 8

• Advances in the development of new biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease · 2022
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• Alzheimer’s Retinopathy: Seeing Disease in the Eyes · 2020
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• A non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging approach for assessment of real-time microcirculation dynamics · 2017
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• Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases · 2017
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• Tau accumulation in the retina promotes early neuronal dysfunction and precedes brain pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease · 2017
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• Ocular indicators of Alzheimer’s: exploring disease in the retina · 2016
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• Visual and Ocular Manifestations of Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Use as Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Progression · 2016
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• The Eye As a Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease · 2016
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