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Detection of retinal nerve fibre layer defects in Alzheimers dementia using SD‐OCT
Author(s) -
BEUTELSPACHER SC,
SERBECIC N,
HAUSNER L,
KROHMER R,
ABOULENEIN F,
FROEHLICH L,
JONAS JB
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2011.2262.x
Subject(s) - nerve fiber layer , retinal , medicine , ophthalmology , optical coherence tomography , nerve fibre layer , visual field
Purpose To examine the clinical value of spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis OCT) to detect retinal nerve fiber layer defects in patients with clinically defined Alzheimer´s dementia (AD). Methods Design: Cross‐sectional study A heterogenous cohort of AD patients (n = 25; 50 eyes) underwent a series of high‐resolution OCT examinations of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using the Spectralis 3.5‐mm circle scan protocol with ART‐Modus and eye tracking. The obtained results were compared to age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control subjects (n = 25, 50 eyes) and RNFL thickness correlated with vision testing scores (ETDRS chart), Humphrey visual field testing, visual evoked potential testing (VEP). Results In the AD group, independently of disease duration, no significant difference in RNFL thickness compared to controls (mm vs mm) as well as normal VEP values were observed. In contrast, determination of RNFL thickness in eyes of severe AD patients showed minimally reduced RNFLT values (without statistical significance). The detected RNFL thinning in patients of severe AD correlated moderately with visual acuity and VEP. Conclusion As examined by spectral domain OCT, patients with AD did not show marked changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer.