Association of retinal thickness and microvasculature with cognitive performance and brain volumes in elderly adults

Kwapong, William Robert; Tao, Wendan; Cao, Le; Wang, Hongzhi; Liu, Junfeng; Zhang, Shuting; Wu, Bo

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.1010548

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…5B and S58-S72 ). Several studies have reported that retinal layer thickness may be a prognostic biomarker of cognitive impairment and long-term cognitive decline in older individuals 84, 85 . Retinal imaging traits were in LD ( r 2 ≥ 0.6) with multiple neurodegenerative disorders, such as in 2q24.3, 17q21.31, 8p23.1, and 15q12 with Parkinson’s disease 86 ( Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eye-brain connections revealed by multimodal retinal and brain imaging genetics in the UK Biobank

Zhao

Fan

et al. 2023

Preprint

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As an anatomical extension of the brain, the retina of the eye is synaptically connected to the visual cortex, establishing physiological connections between the eye and the brain. Despite the unique opportunity retinal structures offer for assessing brain disorders, less is known about their relationship to brain structure and function. Here we present a systematic cross-organ genetic architecture analysis of eye-brain connections using retina and brain imaging endophenotypes. Novel phenotypic and genetic links were identified between retinal imaging biomarkers and brain structure and function measures derived from multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), many of which were involved in the visual pathways, including the primary visual cortex. In 65 genomic regions, retinal imaging biomarkers shared genetic influences with brain diseases and complex traits, 18 showing more genetic overlaps with brain MRI traits. Mendelian randomization suggests that retinal structures have bidirectional genetic causal links with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Overall, cross-organ imaging genetics reveals a genetic basis for eye-brain connections, suggesting that the retinal images can elucidate genetic risk factors for brain disorders and disease-related changes in intracranial structure and function.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eye-brain connections revealed by multimodal retinal and brain imaging genetics in the UK Biobank

Zhao

Fan

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Thinning of the RNFL and GCIPL is not only regarded as a ‘neurodegeneration phenomenon’ but also has been suggested as a useful indicator for monitoring the disease progression. Retinal sublayers decrease has been correlated with older age 36 and incidence of certain disease 37 . The deterioration of the GCIPL and preservation of the RNFL in thalamic stroke patients may indicate possible subtle deterioration of the dendritic complexity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Retinal sublayers decrease has been correlated with older age 36 and incidence of certain disease. 37 The deterioration of the GCIPL and preservation of the RNFL in thalamic stroke patients may indicate possible subtle deterioration of the dendritic complexity. The faster thinning of GCIPL in thalamic infarction patients might be noted to be an early onset and continuous neurodegeneration progression, even if there is an improvement in their neurological deficit (as measured by NIHSS).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distinct alterations of retinal structure between thalamic and extra‐thalamic subcortical infarction patients: A cross‐sectional and longitudinal study

Pan,

Ye,

Zhang

et al. 2023

CNS Neurosci Ther

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AimsCerebrovascular lesions in the primary visual cortex, the lateral geniculate nucleus, and the optic tract have been associated with retinal neurodegeneration via the retrograde degeneration (RD) mechanism. We aimed to use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess the effects of the strategic single subcortical infarction (SSI) location on retinal neurodegeneration and its longitudinal impacts.MethodsPatients with SSI were enrolled and stratified by lesion location on cerebral MRI into the thalamic infarction group and extra‐thalamic infarction group. Healthy controls from the native communities were also recruited. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell‐inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) were quantified using OCT. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used for cross‐sectional analyses and linear mixed models for longitudinal analyses. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsWe included a total of 283 eyes from 149 SSI patients. Of these, 115 eyes of 60 patients with follow‐up were included in the longitudinal analyses. Cross‐sectionally, thalamic‐infarction patients had reduced retinal thickness compared with extra‐thalamic infarction patients after adjustment for age, gender, disease duration, and vascular risk factors (p = 0.026 for RNFL, and p = 0.026 for GCIPL). Longitudinally, SSI patients showed greater retinal thinning compared with healthy controls over time (p = 0.040 for RNFL, and p < 0.001 for GCIPL), and thalamic infarction patients exhibited faster rates of GCIPL thinning in comparison with extra‐thalamic infarction patients (p < 0.001).ConclusionOur study demonstrates a distinct effect of subcortical infarction lesion site on the retina both at the early stage of disease and at the 1‐year follow‐up time. These results present evidence of significant associations between strategic infarction locations and retinal neurodegeneration. It may provide novel insights for further research on RD in stroke patients and ultimately facilitate individualized recovery therapeutic strategy.

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“…Other exclusion criteria included relevant opacities of the optic media. The inclusion and exclusion criteria of our study participants are well described in our previous studies ( Tao et al, 2022 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). The Ethics Committee of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China, approved the study protocol (No.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer, white matter hyperintensities, and their interaction with cognition in older adults

Wang,

Wu,

Zhang

et al. 2023

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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PurposeWe explored the interaction of optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and white matter hyperintensities with cognitive measures in our older adult cohort.MethodsThis observational study enrolled participants who underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, structural 3-T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual acuity examination, and OCT imaging. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) markers were read on MR images; lacune, cerebral microbleeds (CMB), white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), were defined according to the STRIVE standards. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses (μm) were measured on the OCT tool.ResultsOlder adults with cognitive impairment (CI) showed lower RNFL (p = 0.001), GCIPL (p = 0.009) thicknesses, and lower hippocampal volume (p = 0.004) when compared to non-cognitively impaired (NCI). RNFL (p = 0.006) and GCIPL thicknesses (p = 0.032) correlated with MoCA scores. GCIPL thickness (p = 0.037), total WMH (p = 0.003), PWMH (p = 0.041), and DWMH (p = 0.001) correlated with hippocampal volume in our older adults after adjusting for covariates. With hippocampal volume as the outcome, a significant interaction (p < 0.05) between GCIPL and PWMH and total WMH was observed in our older adults.ConclusionBoth GCIPL thinning and higher WMH burden (especially PWMH) are associated with hippocampal volume and older adults with both pathologies are more susceptible to subclinical cognitive decline.

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Association of retinal thickness and microvasculature with cognitive performance and brain volumes in elderly adults

Cited by 14 publications

References 50 publications

Eye-brain connections revealed by multimodal retinal and brain imaging genetics in the UK Biobank

Eye-brain connections revealed by multimodal retinal and brain imaging genetics in the UK Biobank

Distinct alterations of retinal structure between thalamic and extra‐thalamic subcortical infarction patients: A cross‐sectional and longitudinal study

Retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer, white matter hyperintensities, and their interaction with cognition in older adults

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