Retinal Photoreceptor Density Decreases with Age

Localized Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Defects and Stroke

“…24,25 The RNFL thickness physiologically decreases with older age, correlating with an age-related loss of ≈0.3% of the optic nerve fibers, retinal photoreceptors, and retinal pigment epithelium cells. 26,27 Depending on these physiological parameters of the RNFL, localized RNFLDs are usually more often detected in the temporal inferior fundus region and temporal superior region than in other fundus areas. 18 Localized RNFLDs can be caused by various ocular disorders such as glaucoma, optic disc drusen, and toxoplasmic retinochoroidal scars or caused by systemic diseases such as arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus as shown in the present study.…”

Senescence of human multifocal electroretinogram components: a localized approach

“…Numerous works from different areas support the idea of a functional, morphologic and metabolic retinal age-related decline (see [44] for review). Thus, rod photoreceptor loss with age (3.7%-7.3% per decade) [13,40] and decrease in RPE cell density (∼3% per decade) [41,56] and central retinal ganglion cell density (3%-5% per decade) [10,23,28] are all well documented for the central retina. Small cone photoreceptor losses with age (1.8% per decade) were noted in the central retina in some studies [40], but not in others [13].…”

“…Thus, rod photoreceptor loss with age (3.7%-7.3% per decade) [13,40] and decrease in RPE cell density (∼3% per decade) [41,56] and central retinal ganglion cell density (3%-5% per decade) [10,23,28] are all well documented for the central retina. Small cone photoreceptor losses with age (1.8% per decade) were noted in the central retina in some studies [40], but not in others [13]. Although the mfERG signal generated under the stimulation conditions in the present study is cone-driven [54], there are extensive connections and interactions between rod and cone networks in the retina [5,50,51], and, therefore, rod influence cannot be excluded.…”

“…Therefore, we calculated the change with age in each area in relative terms (as percentage decrease). This approach has been used by others for estimating age effects on retinal cell populations [40,41] and in other parameters [16]. As the percent change per year was less than 1% for all areas, it was considered more convenient to represent the change per decade instead.…”

Variation in rod and cone density from the fovea to the mid-periphery in healthy human retinas using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

“…Typically, histological studies have been conducted to examine characteristics of the photoreceptor mosaic including total cell count, density, spacing, and size, [1][2][3][4][5] as well as how these parameters vary with factors such as age [6][7][8][9] and gender. 10 Results of these investigations vary widely, and the differences may, in part, be due to normal inter-subject variations in cell packing or different population demographics.…”