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Microvascular network alterations in the retina of patients with Alzheimer's disease
Cheung CY, Ong YT, Ikram MK, Ong SY, Li X, Hilal S, Catindig JA, Venketasubramanian N et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2014-01-15
Topic: Plasma and spinal-fluid biomarkers
Background Although cerebral small-vessel disease has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the cerebral microcirculation is difficult to visualize directly in vivo. Because the retina provides a noninvasive window to assess the microcirculation, we determined whether quantitatively measured retinal microvascular parameters are associated with AD. Methods We conducted a case-control study (case:control matching ≈ 1:2). Retinal photographs were analyzed using a computer program, and a spectrum of quantitative retinal microvascular parameters (caliber, fractal dimension, tortuosity, and bifurcation) were measured. Logistic regression models were used to compute the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval for AD adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and history of myocardial infarction. Results We included 136 demented patients with AD and 290 age-gender-race-matched controls. Persons with narrower venular caliber (OR per standard deviation [SD] decrease, 2.01 [1.27-3.19]), decreased arteriolar and venular fractal dimension (OR per SD decrease 1.35 [1.08-1.68], 1.47 [1.17-1.84], respectively) and increased arteriolar and venular tortuosity (OR per SD increase, 1.84 [1.40-2.31], 1.94 [1.48-2.53], respectively) were more likely to have AD. These associations still persisted when only AD cases without a history of cerebrovascular disease were included. Conclusions Patients with AD have altered microvascular network in the retina (narrower retinal venules and a sparser and more tortuous retinal vessels) compared with matched nondemented controls. These changes in retinal microvasculature may reflect similar pathophysiological processes in cerebral microvasculature in the brains of patients with AD.
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APA 7th
Cheung, C. Y., Ong, Y. T., Ikram, M. K., Ong, S. Y., Li, X., Hilal, S., et al. (2014). Microvascular network alterations in the retina of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.06.009
Vancouver
Cheung CY, Ong YT, Ikram MK, Ong SY, Li X, Hilal S, et al. Microvascular network alterations in the retina of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2013.06.009. PMID: 24439169.
BibTeX
@article{cheung2014-24439169,
author = {Cheung, C. Y. and Ong, Y. T. and Ikram, M. K. and Ong, S. Y. and Li, X. and Hilal, S. and Catindig, J. A. and Venketasubramanian, N. and others},
title = {{Microvascular network alterations in the retina of patients with Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1016/j.jalz.2013.06.009},
pmid = {24439169},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.06.009}
}
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Key findings
- Because the retina provides a noninvasive window to assess the microcirculation, we determined whether quantitatively measured retinal microvascular parameters are associated with AD.
- Results We included 136 demented patients with AD and 290 age-gender-race-matched controls.
- Conclusions Patients with AD have altered microvascular network in the retina (narrower retinal venules and a sparser and more tortuous retinal vessels) compared with matched nondemented controls.
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Study details
- Study designcase-control study
- Participants136
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a case-control study. Scored zero for effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multicenter collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 36 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 62 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 6 / 12 | A case-control study |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 136 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24439169) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 36 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 36 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 62 out of 100. |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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