Retinal capillary plexus in Parkinson's disease using optical coherence tomography angiography

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor function.
• Retinal microvasculature alterations may serve as early indicators of neurodegeneration.
• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) allows non-invasive visualization of retinal vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in retinal microvasculature and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in Parkinson's disease patients.
• To assess the potential of OCT-A findings as biomarkers for PD diagnosis and evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 44 PD patients and 18 healthy controls.
• Quantification of foveal and parafoveal capillary plexus vascular density using OCT-A.
• Measurement of FAZ dimensions and macular thickness via OCT.
• Statistical analysis using mixed-effect linear regression models.

Main Results:

• Significantly decreased parafoveal superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular density (pSCP-VD, pDCP-VD) in PD patients.
• Significantly reduced FAZ area and perimeter in individuals with PD.
• Decreased central retinal thickness (CRT) and temporal retinal thickness (TRT) observed in PD patients.

Conclusions:

• PD is associated with significant reductions in parafoveal vascular density and alterations in the FAZ.
• Retinal microvascular changes, including decreased CRT and TRT, are evident in PD.
• These OCT-A derived parameters show promise as potential biomarkers for early PD detection and monitoring.