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Associations Between Thinner Retinal Neuronal Layers and Suboptimal Brain Structural Integrity in a Middle-Aged

Ashleigh Barrett-Young1, Wickliffe C Abraham1, Carol Y Cheung2

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Eye and Brain
|March 20, 2023
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Summary

Thinner retinal layers in middle-aged adults correlate with poorer brain health indicators, suggesting the retina may serve as an early biomarker for conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD). This research highlights the retina's potential for non-invasive brain health assessment.

Keywords:
Alzheimer’sbrain agingmagnetic resonance imagingoptical coherence tomographyretina

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The retina, a readily accessible part of the central nervous system, shows promise as a biomarker for brain health and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Few studies have directly compared retinal and brain structural measurements in middle-aged cohorts.
  • Investigating this link may offer advantages over traditional brain imaging techniques for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between retinal neuronal measurements and structural brain measurements in a middle-aged, population-based cohort.
  • To determine if retinal layer thickness correlates with brain age and other structural brain metrics.
  • To explore the retina's potential as an early indicator of brain integrity and AD risk.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, including 1037 participants followed longitudinally to age 45.
  • Measured retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  • Assessed brain structure via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including brain age gap estimate (brainAGE), cortical surface area/thickness, subcortical volumes, and white matter hyperintensities.

Main Results:

  • Analysis included 828 participants for RNFL and 825 for GC-IPL measurements.
  • Thinner RNFL and GC-IPL thicknesses were significantly associated with older brain age (brainAGE).
  • Reduced retinal layer thickness correlated with smaller cortical surface area, thinner cortex, smaller subcortical grey matter volumes, and increased white matter hyperintensities.

Conclusions:

  • Retinal neuronal layer thickness reflects midlife structural brain integrity.
  • Findings support the retina's role as a potential early biomarker for brain health and increased risk of later-life Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • This non-invasive approach may complement existing methods for assessing neurological health.