Optical Coherence Tomography Is Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Radiology

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) quantifies retinal structures.
• Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thinning are linked to white and grey matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• This study investigates the association between intraretinal layer thinning and cognitive decline in MS patients without prior optic neuritis (ON).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if intraretinal layer thinning, measured by OCT, correlates with cognitive decline in MS patients.
• To explore the utility of OCT as a non-invasive tool for assessing neurodegeneration in MS.

Main Methods:

• 204 relapsing-remitting MS patients without a history of ON underwent OCT and NeuroTrax cognitive assessments.
• Retrospective analysis of data collected between 2010 and 2020.
• Correlations between RNFL/GCIPL thickness and cognitive performance were analyzed, with multilinear regression assessing significance against disability score and disease duration.

Main Results:

• RNFL and GCIPL thicknesses correlated with global cognitive scores (p=0.013 and p=0.03, respectively).
• GCIPL showed stronger correlations than RNFL, particularly with executive function, attention, and information processing speed (p<0.012).
• These correlations remained significant after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusions:

• OCT measurements of RNFL and GCIPL thickness are associated with cognitive performance in MS patients.
• OCT serves as a valuable tool for evaluating central nervous system neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in MS.