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. 2018 Nov 5;8(1):16345.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-34577-3.

Usefulness of peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness assessed by optical coherence tomography as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease

Domingo Sánchez  1 , Miguel Castilla-Marti  2   3 , Octavio Rodríguez-Gómez  4 , Sergi Valero  4   5 , Albert Piferrer  6 , Gabriel Martínez  7   8 , Joan Martínez  4 , Judit Serra  4 , Sonia Moreno-Grau  4 , Begoña Hernández-Olasagarre  4 , Itziar De Rojas  4 , Isabel Hernández  4 , Carla Abdelnour  4 , Maitée Rosende-Roca  4 , Liliana Vargas  4 , Ana Mauleón  4 , Miguel A Santos-Santos  4 , Montserrat Alegret  4 , Gemma Ortega  4 , Ana Espinosa  4 , Alba Pérez-Cordón  4 , Ángela Sanabria  4 , Andrea Ciudin  9 , Rafael Simó  9 , Cristina Hernández  9 , Pablo Villoslada  10 , Agustín Ruiz  4 , Lluís Tàrraga  4 , Mercè Boada  4
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Usefulness of peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness assessed by optical coherence tomography as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease

Domingo Sánchez et al. Sci Rep. .

Erratum in

Abstract

The use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been suggested as a potential biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease based on previously reported thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in Alzheimer's disease's (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, other studies have not shown such results. 930 individuals (414 cognitively healthy individuals, 192 probable amnestic MCI and 324 probable AD) attending a memory clinic were consecutively included and underwent spectral domain OCT (Maestro, Topcon) examinations to assess differences in peripapillary RNFL thickness, using a design of high ecological validity. Adjustment by age, education, sex and OCT image quality was performed. We found a non-significant decrease in mean RNFL thickness as follows: control group: 100,20 ± 14,60 µm, MCI group: 98,54 ± 14,43 µm and AD group: 96,61 ± 15,27 µm. The multivariate adjusted analysis revealed no significant differences in mean overall (p = 0.352), temporal (p = 0,119), nasal (p = 0,151), superior (p = 0,435) or inferior (p = 0,825) quadrants between AD, MCI and control groups. These results do not support the usefulness of peripapillary RNFL analysis as a marker of cognitive impairment or in discriminating between cognitive groups. The analysis of other OCT measurements in other retinal areas and layers as biomarkers for AD should be tested further.

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Conflict of interest statement

A.P. is currently an employee of Topcon Spain. All the other authors have no conflict of interests to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient selection and study cohort flow chart. Eligible population and selection of the study sample for this study through inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean RNFL for each diagnostic group. This boxplot represents the mean RNFL for each diagnostic group (Control, MCI, AD). No differences were found between clinical categories. The bottom and top of the box are the first and third quartiles and the band inside the box represents the median. AD: Alzheimer’s Disease; MCI: Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean RNFL distribution for all the diagnostic groups. AD: Alzheimer’s Disease; MCI: Mild Cognitive Impairment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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