Imaging and the ageing retina

Until recently, assessment of ageing in the living human retina has principally depended on fundus photography and related techniques (e.g., fluorescein/indocyanine green angiography and fundus autofluorescence). Since the 1990s, however, the discovery of a wholly new imaging modality ‐ optical coherence tomography (OCT) ‐ has revolutionised the diagnosis and management of retinal diseases by providing high resolution cross‐sectional images of the retina in a non‐invasive manner. In this presentation, I will review existing methods in use for imaging of the ageing human retina, with a particular focus on the latest advances in OCT imaging. I will also describe the attempts that are underway to address the shortcomings of current retinal imaging modalities; for example, the use of adaptive optics to provide cellular level image resolution, the use of Doppler and spectral imaging techniques for the assessment of retinal blood flow and oxygenation, and a number of new technologies with the potential for assessment of novel functional parameters, such as photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging.