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Retinal Microvascular and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Compared with Control Participants
Yoon SP, Grewal DS, Thompson AC, Polascik BW, Dunn C, Burke JR, Fekrat S.. Ophthalmology. Retina, 2019-03-11
Topic: Plasma and spinal-fluid biomarkers
Purpose Evaluate and compare the retinal microvasculature in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively intact controls using OCT angiography. OCT parameters were also compared. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Seventy eyes from 39 AD participants, 72 eyes from 37 MCI participants, and 254 eyes from 133 control participants were enrolled. Methods Participants were imaged using Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 with AngioPlex (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and underwent cognitive evaluation with Mini-Mental State Examination. Main outcome measures Vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) in the SCP within the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study 6-mm circle, 3-mm circle, and 3-mm ring were compared between groups. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, central subfield thickness (CST), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were also compared. Results Alzheimer's participants showed significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively) and decreased SCP VD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.047) compared with MCI and significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.008 and P = 0.004, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.015 and P = 0.009, respectively) and SCP PD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.033) when compared with cognitively intact controls. There was no difference in SCP VD or PD between MCI and controls (P > 0.05). FAZ area and CST did not differ significantly between groups (P > 0.05). Alzheimer's participants showed significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the inferior (P = 0.032) and inferonasal (P = 0.025) sectors compared with MCI and significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the entire (P = 0.012), superonasal (P = 0.041), inferior (P = 0.004), and inferonasal (P = 0.006) sectors compared to controls. MCI participants showed significantly decreased temporal RNFL thickness (P = 0.04) compared with controls. Conclusions Alzheimer's participants showed significantly reduced macular VD, PD, and GC-IPL thickness compared with MCI and controls. Changes in the retinal microvasculature may mirror small vessel cerebrovascular changes in AD.
Key findings
- Results Alzheimer's participants showed significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively) and decreased SCP VD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.047) compared with MCI and significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.008 and P = 0.004, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.015 and P = 0.009, respectively) and SCP PD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.033) when compared with cognitively intact controls.
- FAZ area and CST did not differ significantly between groups (P > 0.05).
- Alzheimer's participants showed significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the inferior (P = 0.032) and inferonasal (P = 0.025) sectors compared with MCI and significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the entire (P = 0.012), superonasal (P = 0.041), inferior (P = 0.004), and inferonasal (P = 0.006) sectors compared to controls.
- MCI participants showed significantly decreased temporal RNFL thickness (P = 0.04) compared with controls.
- Conclusions Alzheimer's participants showed significantly reduced macular VD, PD, and GC-IPL thickness compared with MCI and controls.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / 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 multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 26 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Ophthalmology. Retina) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation 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 |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31174670) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 26 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 26 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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 7 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.
APA 7th
Yoon, S. P., Grewal, D. S., Thompson, A. C., Polascik, B. W., Dunn, C., Burke, JR., et al. (2019). Retinal Microvascular and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Compared with Control Participants. Ophthalmology. Retina. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oret.2019.02.002
Vancouver
Yoon SP, Grewal DS, Thompson AC, Polascik BW, Dunn C, Burke JR, et al. Retinal Microvascular and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Compared with Control Participants. Ophthalmology. Retina. 2019. doi:10.1016/j.oret.2019.02.002. PMID: 31174670.
BibTeX
@article{yoon2019-31174670,
author = {Yoon, S. P. and Grewal, D. S. and Thompson, A. C. and Polascik, B. W. and Dunn, C. and Burke, JR. and Fekrat, S.},
title = {{Retinal Microvascular and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Compared with Control Participants}},
journal = {Ophthalmology. Retina},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1016/j.oret.2019.02.002},
pmid = {31174670},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oret.2019.02.002}
}
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