Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Radiology

Background:

• Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with potential links to neurological and physiological changes.
• Retinal microvasculature alterations have been observed in various neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate retinovascular structure in schizophrenia patients using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
• To compare OCTA measurements between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
• To assess the impact of disease duration on retinovascular changes in schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

• OCTA was performed on 47 eyes of schizophrenia patients and 50 eyes of healthy controls.
• Schizophrenia patients were categorized into short-term (≤5 years) and long-term (>5 years) groups.
• Key OCTA metrics including retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular thickness, and vessel density were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia patients demonstrated significant thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and macula compared to controls.
• Lower vessel density (VD) was observed in schizophrenia patients, particularly in specific macular and capillary plexus regions.
• Long-term schizophrenia patients exhibited significantly reduced VD in multiple vascular plexuses compared to short-term patients.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest schizophrenia may involve progressive neurodegeneration with microvascular compromise.
• OCTA is a promising tool for detecting retinovascular changes in schizophrenia.
• Progressive microvascular changes correlate with disease duration in schizophrenia.