title: The association between retinal vessel morphology and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in an elderly population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between retinal vessel morphology (branching coefficient, bifurcation angle, and fractal analysis) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in an elderly population.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and one participants from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (population of people all born in 1936) were studied. RNFL thickness measurements (using optical coherence tomography [OCT]) and digital retinal photographs were collected. The retinal images were analyzed using custom-designed software called the Vascular Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater deviation from the optimal arteriolar branching coefficient was associated with greater RNFL thickness (r = 0.249, P = .028). There was no significant association between RNFL thickness and the other retinal vessel morphology parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNFL thickness increased significantly with suboptimality of arteriole branching coefficient. These findings cannot be explained by our current understanding of OCT. OCT-based biomarker metrics require further study to better define retinal neurovascular imaging and anatomy.
authors.affiliation: National Health Service Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Grinton
authors.forename: Augustinus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laude
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aspinall
authors.forename: Baljean
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dhillon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence