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Ageing changes in retinal outer nuclear layer thickness and cone photoreceptor density using adaptive optics-free
Juliane Matlach1,2,3, Padraig Mulholland1,4,5, Marketa Cilkova1
1NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital & UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
European Journal of Ophthalmology
|January 3, 2023
Summary
Outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness and cone density decrease with age in healthy eyes. These age-related changes are not strongly associated, suggesting other factors influence ONL thickness.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Imaging
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- The outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness and cone photoreceptor density are key indicators of retinal health.
- Understanding age-related changes in these structures is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring retinal diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in ONL thickness and cone density in healthy participants.
- To explore the association between ONL thickness and cone density in relation to aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified Heidelberg Retina Angiograph (HRA2) for imaging retinal cones.
- Measured cone density and ONL thickness at 8.8° eccentricity using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT).
- Included 56 healthy participants with a median age of 37 years (IQR, 29-55).
Main Results:
- A negative association was found between age and cone density (R²=0.16, P=0.002).
- ONL thickness also showed a negative association with age (R²=0.12, P=0.009).
- No significant association was observed between cone density and ONL thickness (R²=0.03, P=0.20).
Conclusions:
- Older participants exhibited lower cone density and thinner ONL compared to younger individuals.
- Age-related structural measures of the retina should be interpreted in the context of normative aging data.
- The weak association between cone density and ONL thickness suggests other factors, including measurement error, significantly influence ONL thickness.
