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Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Optokinetic Response As Structural and Functional Visual System Readouts in Mice and Rats
Published on: January 10, 2019
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Marco Pellegrini1, Aldo Vagge2, Lorenzo Ferro Ferro Desideri2
1Ophthalmology Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
Abstract:
Retinal microcirculation shares similar features with cerebral small blood vessels. Thus, the retina may be considered an accessible 'window' to detect the microvascular damage occurring in the setting of neurodegenerative disorders. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a non-invasive imaging modality providing depth resolved images of blood flow in the retina, choroid, and optic nerve. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the application of OCT-A in glaucoma and central nervous system conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Future directions aiming at evaluating whether OCT-A can be an additional biomarker for the early diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative disorders are also discussed.
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