A two-year longitudinal study of retinal vascular impairment in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

• Published in: Frontiers in aging neuroscience 2022-11, Vol.14, p.993621-993621
• Main Authors: Chiara, Criscuolo, Gilda, Cennamo, Daniela, Montorio, Antonio, Carotenuto, Miriana, Migliaccio, Marcello, Moccia, Elena, Salvatore, Roberta, Lanzillo, Ciro, Costagliola, Vincenzo, Brescia Morra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Aging Neuroscience; Alzheimer's disease; aMCI; Angiography; Biomarkers; Cognitive ability; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Diabetes; Diabetic retinopathy; Hypertension; Longitudinal studies; longitudinal study; Medical imaging; Memory; mini mental state examination; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuropsychology; OCTA; Optics; Pandemics; Retina; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Tomography
• ISSN: 1663-4365; 1663-4365
• DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.993621

To evaluate the relation between retinal vascular impairment and cognitive decline in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) over time. Spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCT angiography study was performed in aMCI patients over 2 years follow-up and compared to baseline. Thirty-eight eyes from 19 aMCI patients were evaluated. Structural and vascular OCT measures were reduced at follow-up except for vessel density (VD) of the choriocapillaris, unchanged, and foveal avascular zone, which was increased; no changes in any parameter were found in 18 age-matched healthy controls. Overall, these findings were confirmed when patients were evaluated separately according to progression to dementia. Only non-converters to dementia showed significant VD reduction in the deep capillary plexuses (coeff. β = -4.20;