Evolution of Retinal Morphology Changes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Neurology

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons.
• Non-motor symptoms, including visual disturbances, are reported in ALS.
• Identifying biomarkers for neurodegeneration in ALS is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare retinal layer thickness changes in ALS patients versus healthy controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• To assess the potential of OCT as a tool for monitoring ALS progression.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, longitudinal study design.
• Utilized optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure retinal layer thickness.
• Compared changes between ALS patients and healthy controls, correlating with clinical scores (e.g., modified Rankin Scale).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in baseline retinal layer thickness between ALS patients and controls.
• No significant changes in retinal layer thickness observed over the study period in ALS patients.
• A negative association was found between the rate of thickness change in specific retinal layers and higher modified Rankin Scale scores at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• OCT may not be a suitable tool for monitoring neurodegeneration and disease progression in ALS.
• Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.