Retinal alterations induced by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: An analysis using optical coherence tomography.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons.
• Investigating ocular biomarkers, such as retinal changes, may offer insights into ALS pathophysiology and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine retinal layer thickness in a cohort of ALS patients compared to healthy controls (HCs).
• To explore the relationship between observed retinal changes and ALS disease stage and progression.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional observational study involving 134 ALS patients and 66 HCs.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to measure macular region and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (p-RNFL) thickness.
• Analysis focused on specific retinal layers, including the inner nuclear layer (INL).

Main Results:

• Significant changes, including thickening followed by thinning, were observed in the INL of ALS patients, particularly in the inner nasal quadrant, correlating with disease stage.
• ALS patients exhibited thinner p-RNFL in the temporal quadrant compared to HCs.
• Thinner temporal p-RNFL was noted in ALS patients with bulbar symptoms, but no correlation with disease progression rate was found.

Conclusions:

• Notable alterations in INL and p-RNFL thickness are present in ALS patients.
• While retinal changes are linked to ALS, they do not currently predict disease progression rate.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) shows potential for monitoring ALS, but further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify its predictive role.