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Retinal microvasculature and white matter microstructure: The Rotterdam Study
Unal Mutlu1, Lotte G M Cremers1, Marius de Groot1
1From the Departments of Epidemiology (U.M., L.G.M.C., A.H., C.C.W.K., M.A.I., M.W.V., M.K.I.), Ophthalmology (U.M., C.C.W.K.), Radiology (L.G.M.C., M.d.G., W.J.N., A.v.d.L., M.A.I., M.W.V.), Medical Informatics (M.d.G., W.J.N.), and Neurology (M.A.I., M.K.I.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; Department of Imaging Science and Technology (M.d.G., W.J.N.), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology (A.H.), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Retinal blood vessel width is linked to brain white matter health. Narrower arteries and wider veins in the retina may indicate more widespread microvascular damage in the brain.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinal microvascular changes can reflect systemic vascular health.
- Diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) assesses white matter microstructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the relationship between retinal vascular caliber and normal-appearing white matter microstructure.
Main Methods:
- 2,436 participants (age ≥45) from the Rotterdam Study underwent retinal imaging and brain DT-MRI.
- Retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were measured.
- Linear regression analyzed associations between retinal caliber and white matter microstructure markers.
Main Results:
- Narrower arterioles and wider venules correlated with poorer white matter microstructure (lower fractional anisotropy, higher mean diffusivity).
- These associations were more pronounced in women for venular caliber.
Conclusions:
- Retinal vascular caliber is associated with normal-appearing white matter microstructure.
- Findings suggest subclinical microvascular damage in white matter may be more extensive than previously recognized.
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