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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
Retinal and Choriocapillaris Vascular Changes in Early Alzheimer Disease Patients Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Mariachiara Di Pippo1, Virginia Cipollini, Franco Giubilei
1Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sense Organs (NESMOS) Department (MDP, VC, FG, GS, SA), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy; Neurology Unit (FG), and Ophthalmology Unit (GS, SA), St. Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by ß-amyloid accumulation in the brain. A simple and reliable biomarker for AD that is not invasive is urgently needed, particularly in the preclinical and early stages of the disease. The retina shares with the brain, the same embryologic origins and it is affected by similar vascular changes. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the retinal and choriocapillaris vascular structure through optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA) evaluation in patients with early AD.
Methods:
Eighteen patients with early AD (study group) and 18 healthy age-matched subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent full neurologic and ophthalmologic examination, and OCTA scans.
Results:
We found a significant reduction in flow area of choriocapillaris in the study group compared with the control group ( P -value: 0.006), suggesting an impairment of choriocapillaris circulation in patients with early AD.
Conclusions:
OCTA provides accumulative evidence on the microvasculature changes of the retina and choriocapillaris in patients with AD. Further studies and improved OCTA software are necessary to better evaluate the role of vascular changes shown with OCTA as potential biomarkers in early disease.
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