TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationships between retinal layer thickness and brain volumes in the UK Biobank cohort
AU - Chua, Sharon Y. L.
AU - Lascaratos, Gerassimos
AU - Atan, Denize
AU - Zhang, Bing
AU - Reisman, Charles
AU - Khaw, Peng T.
AU - Smith, Stephen M.
AU - The UK Biobank Eye, Vision Consortium
AU - Matthews, Paul M.
AU - Petzold, Axel
AU - Strouthidis, Nicholas G.
AU - Foster, Paul J.
AU - Khawaja, Anthony P.
AU - Patel, Praveen J.
N1 - Funding Information: This analysis was supported by a grant from the International Glaucoma Association (UK). The UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium is supported by grants from Moorfields Eye Charity, The National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust and University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, the Alcon Research Institute, the International Glaucoma Association (UK) and The Richard Desmond Charitable Trust via Fight for Sight. No funders had a direct role in the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; nor in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Sharon Y. L. Chua, Nicholas G. Strouthidis, Peng T. Khaw, Paul J. Foster, Axel Petzold and Praveen J. Patel received salary support from the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Peng T. Khaw is supported in part by the Helen Hamlyn Trust. Paul J. Foster received support from the Richard Desmond Charitable Trust, via Fight for Sight, London. Anthony Khawaja is supported by a UK Research & Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (grant administered by the Medical Research Council, ref MR/T040912/1), an Alcon Research Institute Young Investigator Award, and Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Fellowship. The authors acknowledge a proportion of their financial support from the UK Department of Health through an award made by the National Institute for Health Research to Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust and University College London Institute of Ophthalmology for a Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology. This research used data from the UK Biobank Resource, under data access request number 2112. Funding Information: Sharon Y. L. Chua, Nicholas G. Strouthidis, Peng T. Khaw, Paul J. Foster, Axel Petzold and Praveen J. Patel received salary support from the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Peng T. Khaw is supported in part by the Helen Hamlyn Trust. Paul J. Foster received support from the Richard Desmond Charitable Trust, via Fight for Sight, London. Anthony Khawaja is supported by a UK Research & Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (grant administered by the Medical Research Council, ref MR/T040912/1), an Alcon Research Institute Young Investigator Award, and Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Fellowship. The authors acknowledge a proportion of their financial support from the UK Department of Health through an award made by the National Institute for Health Research to Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust and University College London Institute of Ophthalmology for a Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology. This research used data from the UK Biobank Resource, under data access request number 2112. Funding Information: Charles Reisman reports employment by Topcon Healthcare Solutions, Inc. outside the submitted work. Paul J. Foster reports personal fees from Allergan, Carl Zeiss, Google/DeepMind and Santen, a grant from Alcon, outside the submitted work. Praveen J. Patel reports grants from Topcon Inc., outside the submitted work. Anthony P. Khawaja reports personal fees from Aerie, Allergan, Google Health, Novartis, Thea and Santen, all outside the submitted work. Sharon Y. L. Chua, Axel Petzold, Nicholas G. Strouthidis, Gerassimos Lascaratos, Denize Atan, Bing Zhang, Stephen M. Smith, Paul M. Matthews and Peng T. Khaw declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - Background and purpose: Current methods to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases are costly and invasive. Retinal neuroanatomy may be a biomarker for more neurodegenerative processes and can be quantified in vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT), which is inexpensive and noninvasive. We examined the association of neuroretinal morphology with brain MRI image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) in a large cohort of healthy older people. Methods: UK Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 years old underwent comprehensive examinations including ophthalmic and brain imaging assessments. Macular retinal nerve fibre layer (mRNFL), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC) and total macular thicknesses were obtained from OCT. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) IDPs assessed included total brain, grey matter, white matter and hippocampal volume. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between retinal layers thickness and brain MRI IDPs, adjusting for demographic factors and vascular risk factors. Results: A total of 2131 participants (mean age 55 years; 51% women) with both gradable OCT images and brain imaging assessments were included. In multivariable regression analysis, thinner mGCIPL, mGCC and total macular thickness were all significantly associated with smaller total brain (p < 0.001), grey matter and white matter volume (p < 0.01), and grey matter volume in the occipital pole (p < 0.05). Thinner mGCC and total macular thicknesses were associated with smaller hippocampal volume (p < 0.02). No association was found between mRNFL and the MRI IDPs. Conclusions: Markers of retinal neurodegeneration are associated with smaller brain volumes. Our findings suggest that retinal structure may be a biomarker providing information about important brain structure in healthy older adults.
AB - Background and purpose: Current methods to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases are costly and invasive. Retinal neuroanatomy may be a biomarker for more neurodegenerative processes and can be quantified in vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT), which is inexpensive and noninvasive. We examined the association of neuroretinal morphology with brain MRI image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) in a large cohort of healthy older people. Methods: UK Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 years old underwent comprehensive examinations including ophthalmic and brain imaging assessments. Macular retinal nerve fibre layer (mRNFL), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC) and total macular thicknesses were obtained from OCT. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) IDPs assessed included total brain, grey matter, white matter and hippocampal volume. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between retinal layers thickness and brain MRI IDPs, adjusting for demographic factors and vascular risk factors. Results: A total of 2131 participants (mean age 55 years; 51% women) with both gradable OCT images and brain imaging assessments were included. In multivariable regression analysis, thinner mGCIPL, mGCC and total macular thickness were all significantly associated with smaller total brain (p < 0.001), grey matter and white matter volume (p < 0.01), and grey matter volume in the occipital pole (p < 0.05). Thinner mGCC and total macular thicknesses were associated with smaller hippocampal volume (p < 0.02). No association was found between mRNFL and the MRI IDPs. Conclusions: Markers of retinal neurodegeneration are associated with smaller brain volumes. Our findings suggest that retinal structure may be a biomarker providing information about important brain structure in healthy older adults.
KW - brain MRI markers
KW - cognitive impairment
KW - optical coherence tomography
KW - retinal layers
KW - retinal neurodegeneration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100113845&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.14706
DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.14706
M3 - Article
C2 - 33369822
SN - 1351-5101
VL - 28
SP - 1490
EP - 1498
JO - European journal of neurology
JF - European journal of neurology
IS - 5
ER -