Cognitive function correlates with retinal structural and vascular imaging parameters in Chinese older adults.

IF 4.4 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Alzheimer''s and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring Pub Date : 2025-07-22 eCollection Date: 2025-07-01 DOI:10.1002/dad2.70147

Manqiao Wang, Limei Chen, Yi Gong, Emmanuel Eric Pazo, Fei Gao, Liying Hu, Chen Chen, Yan Shao, Juping Liu, Xiaorong Li

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Abstract

Aim: To investigate associations between cognitive status and retinal parameters in older adults.

Methods: The population-based Beichen Eye Study (BCES) recruited 5840 older adults from Tianjin, China. Retinal thickness and vessel density (VD) were measured using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT/OCTA). Cognitive function was assessed via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participants with gradable images and valid MMSE scores (n = 3606) were analyzed.

Results: Cognitive impairment (CI) was identified in 32.7% of participants. Compared to non-CI individuals, those with CI exhibited reduced average retinal thickness (p = 0.007) and choroid thickness (p < 0.001). Superficial VD (VD_SVP) was significantly higher in moderate to severe CI compared to mild CI (p = 0.030). Linear mixed-effects regression demonstrated positive correlations between MMSE scores and retinal parameters (r = 0.518 to 0.530).

Conclusion: Retinal thinning may occur in mild CI, with VD changes as CI progresses. Choroidal thinning is a potential cognitive indicator. OCT/OCTA, as a non-invasive tool, offers potential for early cognitive disorder screening in aging populations.

Highlights: Retinal thinning (average retinal thickness: p = 0.007) and choroidal thinning (p < 0.001) are significantly associated with CI in older adults.A paradoxical increase in VD_SVP was observed in moderate to severe CI (p = 0.030), suggesting compensatory vascular remodeling.Choroidal thickness emerges as a robust biomarker for cognitive decline (correlation coefficient range: 0.518 to 0.530).The large-scale population-based study (n = 5840) was conducted integrating OCT/OCTA imaging with MMSE cognitive assessments.The study supports OCT/OCTA as a noninvasive, cost-effective screening tool for early detection of cognitive disorders in resource-limited settings.The study highlights vascular risk management (e.g., glycemic control, smoking cessation) as a dual target for retinal and cognitive health.

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中国老年人的认知功能与视网膜结构和血管成像参数相关。

目的：探讨老年人认知状态与视网膜参数之间的关系。方法：以人群为基础的北辰眼科研究（BCES）从中国天津招募了5840名老年人。采用光学相干断层扫描血管造影（OCT/OCTA）测量视网膜厚度和血管密度（VD）。通过简易精神状态检查（MMSE）评估认知功能。对具有可分级图像和有效MMSE分数的参与者（n = 3606）进行分析。结果：32.7%的参与者存在认知障碍（CI）。与非CI个体相比，CI患者的平均视网膜厚度降低（p = 0.007），中度至重度CI患者的脉络膜厚度（p SVP）显著高于轻度CI患者（p = 0.030）。线性混合效应回归显示MMSE评分与视网膜参数呈正相关（r = 0.518 ~ 0.530）。结论：轻度CI可能发生视网膜变薄，随着CI的进展，VD发生变化。脉络膜变薄是一种潜在的认知指标。OCT/OCTA作为一种非侵入性工具，为老年人群早期认知障碍筛查提供了潜力。重点：中重度CI患者视网膜变薄（平均视网膜厚度：p = 0.007），脉络膜变薄（p = 0.030），提示代偿性血管重构。脉络膜厚度是认知能力下降的一个强有力的生物标志物（相关系数范围：0.518至0.530）。这项基于大规模人群的研究（n = 5840）将OCT/OCTA成像与MMSE认知评估相结合。该研究支持OCT/OCTA作为一种无创、成本效益高的筛查工具，在资源有限的环境中用于早期发现认知障碍。该研究强调血管风险管理（如血糖控制、戒烟）是视网膜和认知健康的双重目标。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Alzheimer''s and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

7.80

自引率

7.50%

发文量

101

审稿时长

8 weeks

期刊介绍： Alzheimer''s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (DADM) is an open access, peer-reviewed, journal from the Alzheimer''s Association® that will publish new research that reports the discovery, development and validation of instruments, technologies, algorithms, and innovative processes. Papers will cover a range of topics interested in the early and accurate detection of individuals with memory complaints and/or among asymptomatic individuals at elevated risk for various forms of memory disorders. The expectation for published papers will be to translate fundamental knowledge about the neurobiology of the disease into practical reports that describe both the conceptual and methodological aspects of the submitted scientific inquiry. Published topics will explore the development of biomarkers, surrogate markers, and conceptual/methodological challenges. Publication priority will be given to papers that 1) describe putative surrogate markers that accurately track disease progression, 2) biomarkers that fulfill international regulatory requirements, 3) reports from large, well-characterized population-based cohorts that comprise the heterogeneity and diversity of asymptomatic individuals and 4) algorithmic development that considers multi-marker arrays (e.g., integrated-omics, genetics, biofluids, imaging, etc.) and advanced computational analytics and technologies.