Optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thinning is a potential biomarker for neurodegeneration in MS.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique capable of measuring RNFL thickness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze RNFL thinning in patients with MS using OCT.
• To investigate the relationship between RNFL thickness and MS severity.
• To explore advanced OCT technologies for improved MS assessment.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of time-domain OCT data from MS patients.
• Comparison of RNFL thickness in MS patients with and without optic neuritis.
• Correlation analysis of RNFL thickness with visual and neurological function.

Main Results:

• Significant RNFL thinning observed in MS patients.
• Greater RNFL thinning in MS patients with a history of optic neuritis (20.38 microm).
• RNFL thinning in MS patients without optic neuritis (7.08 microm) exceeds normal aging.
• RNFL thickness correlates with visual and neurological function.

Conclusions:

• OCT is a valuable tool for assessing neurodegeneration in MS via RNFL thinning.
• RNFL thinning in MS is attributed to retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration and ganglion cell loss.
• Future OCT developments promise enhanced understanding of MS pathophysiology and structure-function relationships.