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Retinal alterations in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an optical coherence tomography study
Ascaso FJ, Cruz N, Modrego PJ, Lopez-Anton R, Santabárbara J, Pascual LF, Lobo A, Cristóbal JA.. Journal of neurology, 2014-05-21
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) measured by means of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has been used as a marker not only of ophthalmologic diseases but also of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The purpose of this work was to demonstrate that patients with amnestic MCI show an intermediate RNFL thickness between normality and AD, and a macular volume and thickness as well. In a cross-sectional study we consecutively recruited 18 patients with AD, 21 with MCI, and 41 healthy controls. OCT was performed in all of them to measure circumpapillary RNFL thickness in µm, as well as macular volume and thickness. In the analysis of variance we saw that RNFL was thinner in MCI patients compared with controls, and it was also thinner in AD patients compared with MCI patients and controls. With regard to the macular measurements in mm(3), MCI patients had the greatest macular volume in comparison with AD patients and controls. In turn the controls had greater macular volume than AD patients. The decreased RNFL thickness in MCI and AD patients suggests loss of retinal neurons and their axons. The increased thickness and macular volume have never been reported before in aMCI. This finding could be explained by inflammation and/or gliosis in early stages of AD. OCT could be a useful marker of AD for early detection and monitoring progression.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ascaso, F. J., Cruz, N., Modrego, P. J., Lopez-Anton, R., Santabárbara, J., Pascual, L. F., et al. (2014). Retinal alterations in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an optical coherence tomography study. Journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-014-7374-z
Vancouver
Ascaso FJ, Cruz N, Modrego PJ, Lopez-Anton R, Santabárbara J, Pascual LF, et al. Retinal alterations in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an optical coherence tomography study. Journal of neurology. 2014. doi:10.1007/s00415-014-7374-z. PMID: 24846203.
BibTeX
@article{ascaso2014-24846203,
author = {Ascaso, F. J. and Cruz, N. and Modrego, P. J. and Lopez-Anton, R. and Santabárbara, J. and Pascual, L. F. and Lobo, A. and Cristóbal, J. A.},
title = {{Retinal alterations in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an optical coherence tomography study}},
journal = {Journal of neurology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1007/s00415-014-7374-z},
pmid = {24846203},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-014-7374-z}
}
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 names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- In the analysis of variance we saw that RNFL was thinner in MCI patients compared with controls, and it was also thinner in AD patients compared with MCI patients and controls.
Why it matters
In this cross-sectional study of 18 people with Alzheimer's disease, 21 with mild cognitive impairment, and 41 controls, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was thinner in mild cognitive impairment than controls and thinner still in Alzheimer's disease. The authors suggest optical coherence tomography could be a useful marker for early detection, not a treatment or cure.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants18
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Neurology: journal h-index 208 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” 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 | 1 / 4 | 18 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 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 196 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.0 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 40 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author José Ángel Cristóbal: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universidad de Zaragoza: institution h-index 510 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 24846203) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
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