Open AccessChoroidal thinning: Alzheimer's disease and aging
Author(s) -
Cunha João Paulo,
Proença Rita,
DiasSantos Arnaldo,
Melancia Diana,
Almeida Rita,
Águas Helena,
Santos Bruno Oliveira,
Alves Marta,
Ferreira Joana,
Papoila Ana Luísa,
Louro Carlota,
CastanheiraDinis António
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and disease monitoring
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.497
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2352-8729
DOI - 10.1016/j.dadm.2017.03.004
Subject(s) - thinning , disease , medicine , psychology , geography , forestry
The purpose of this study was to measure and to compare macular choroidal thickness (CT) between patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), patients without AD, and elderly patients. Methods CT was measured manually in 13 locations at 500‐μm intervals of a horizontal and a vertical section from the fovea. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results Fifty patients with a diagnosis of mild AD (73.1 years), 152 patients without AD (71.03 years), and 50 elderly without AD (82.14 years) were included. In the AD patients, CT was significantly thinner in all 13 locations ( P < .001—comparing with age‐match group), and comparing with the elderly group, a more pronounced difference was found in two locations temporal to the fovea. Discussion Patients with AD showed a significant choroidal thinning even when compared with elderly subjects. The reduction of CT may aid in the diagnoses of AD, probably reflecting the importance of vascular factors in their pathogenesis.