Motor Asymmetry and Interocular Retinal Thickness in Parkinson's Disease

To analyze the relationship between interocular difference of retinal thickness and motor asymmetry in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Prospective case-control series analyzed 62 eyes of 31 patients with PD and 62 eyes of 31 age- and sex-matched control. Ophthalmologic examinations including optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans were performed in both groups, and in the patients with PD, motor function was evaluated on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) to determine the clinically more affected side. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFLT) and macular retinal thickness (mRT) were measured in both eyes, after which the interocular asymmetry of the OCT parameters was determined. Additionally, the more and less affected sides of the UPDRS-III were evaluated using Symmetric index.

The average and quadrant pRNFLT and mRT values between the two groups were not different, but the interocular asymmetry of the average mRT and asymmetry index of retinal thickness (AIRT) of temporal mRT were significantly higher in the PD patients than in the controls (P = 0.026 and 0.044). The sum of UPDRS-III showed a discrepancy between the more and less affected sides (P = 0.002); the calculated Symmetric index was 0.21 ± 0.19, which suggested asymmetric motor symptoms. The Symmetric index of UPDRS-III showed significant relations for interocular asymmetry of superior mRT and AIRT of average mRT (P = 0.001 and 0.008).

In the PD patients, the interocular asymmetry of mRT was larger than in the controls, and the motor symptoms were asymmetric. Additionally, the interocular asymmetry of mRT showed a significant correlation with motor-symptom laterality.