Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Coppola G, Di Renzo A, Ziccardi L, Martelli F, Fadda A, Manni G, Barboni P, Pierelli F et al.. PloS one, 2015-08-07
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, which is likely to start as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) several years before the its full-blown clinical manifestation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used to detect a loss in peripapillary retina nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and a reduction in macular thickness and volume of people affected by MCI or AD. Here, we performed an aggregate meta-analysis combining results from different studies. Methods and findings Data sources were case-control studies published between January 2001 and August 2014 (identified through PubMed and Google Scholar databases) that examined the RNFL thickness by means of OCT in AD and MCI patients compared with cognitively healthy controls. Results 11 studies were identified, including 380 patients with AD, 68 with MCI and 293 healthy controls (HC). The studies suggest that the mean RNFL thickness is reduced in MCI (weighted mean differences in μm, WMD = -13.39, 95% CI: -17.34 to -9.45, p = 0.031) and, even more so, in AD (WMD = -15.95, 95% CI: -21.65 to -10.21, p Conclusion Results from the meta-analysis support the important role of OCT for RNFL analysis in monitoring the progression of AD and in assessing the effectiveness of purported AD treatments.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Coppola, G., Di Renzo, A., Ziccardi, L., Martelli, F., Fadda, A., Manni, G., et al. (2015). Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134750
Vancouver
Coppola G, Di Renzo A, Ziccardi L, Martelli F, Fadda A, Manni G, et al. Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis. PloS one. 2015. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134750. PMID: 26252902.
BibTeX
@article{coppola2015-26252902,
author = {Coppola, G. and Di Renzo, A. and Ziccardi, L. and Martelli, F. and Fadda, A. and Manni, G. and Barboni, P. and Pierelli, F. and others},
title = {{Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis}},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0134750},
pmid = {26252902},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134750}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Here, we performed an aggregate meta-analysis combining results from different studies.
- Methods and findings Data sources were case-control studies published between January 2001 and August 2014 (identified through PubMed and Google Scholar databases) that examined the RNFL thickness by means of OCT in AD and MCI patients compared with cognitively healthy controls.
- Results 11 studies were identified, including 380 patients with AD, 68 with MCI and 293 healthy controls (HC).
- The studies suggest that the mean RNFL thickness is reduced in MCI (weighted mean differences in μm, WMD = -13.39, 95% CI: -17.34 to -9.45, p = 0.031) and, even more so, in AD (WMD = -15.95, 95% CI: -21.65 to -10.21, p<0.0001) patients compared to HC.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis of 11 studies found that the nerve fiber layer of the retina is thinner in people with mild cognitive impairment and even more so in people with Alzheimer's disease compared with healthy controls. The authors suggest this could help monitor progression and assess treatments, but the analysis does not test any treatment itself.
Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants380
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (PloS one) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | PLoS ONE: journal h-index 594 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 380 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 206 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 9 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 43 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Vincenzo Parisi: h-index 53 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Southern California: institution h-index 1,521 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26252902) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
9 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Mild cognitive impairment
Also tagged “classification”
835 studies in the library carry the topic tag “classification”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 835 tagged studies.