IOVS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2007;48:2285-2289.)
© 2007 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
DOI:  10.1167/iovs.06-1029
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Berisha, F.
Right arrow Articles by Schepens, C. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Berisha, F.
Right arrow Articles by Schepens, C. L.

Retinal Abnormalities in Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Fatmire Berisha, Gilbert T. Feke, Clement L. Trempe, J. Wallace McMeel, and Charles L. Schepens

From the Schepens Retina Associates Foundation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

PURPOSE. There is evidence suggesting that visual disturbances in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) are due to pathologic changes in the retina and optic nerve, as well as to higher cortical impairment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retinal hemodynamic parameters and to characterize patterns of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) loss in patients with early AD.

METHODS. Nine patients with mild to moderate probable AD (mean Mini Mental State Examination score 24 of a possible 30 (age 74.3 ± 3.3 years; mean ± SD) and eight age-matched control subjects (age, 74.3 ± 5.8 years) were included in this prospective cross-sectional study. Blood column diameter, blood velocity, and blood flow rate were measured in the major superior temporal retinal vein in each subject by using a laser Doppler instrument. Peripapillary RNFL was measured by optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS. Patients with AD showed a significant narrowing of the venous blood column diameter (131.7 ± 10.8 µm) compared with control subjects (148.3 ± 12.7 µm, P = 0.01), and a significantly reduced venous blood flow rate (9.7 ± 3.1 µL/min) compared with the control subjects (15.9 ± 3.7 µL/min, P = 0.002). A significant thinning of the RNFL was found in the superior quadrant in patients with AD (92.2 ± 21.6 µm) compared with control subjects (113.6 ± 10.7 µm, P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in the inferior, temporal, or nasal RNFL thicknesses between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS. Retinal abnormalities in early AD include a specific pattern of RNFL loss, narrow veins, and decreased retinal blood flow in these veins. The results show that AD produces quantifiable abnormalities in the retina.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 IOVSHome page
A. Ning, J. Cui, E. To, K. H. Ashe, and J. Matsubara
Amyloid-{beta} Deposits Lead to Retinal Degeneration in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., November 1, 2008; 49(11): 5136 - 5143.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. Ophthalmol.Home page
From the Library
Br. J. Ophthalmol., August 1, 2007; 91(8): 1098 - 1098.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology