Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness correlates with brain white matter damage in multiple sclerosis: a combined optical coherence tomography and diffusion tensor imaging study.
We investigated the association of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFL) with white matter damage assessed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Forty-four MS patients and 30 healthy subjects underwent optical coherence tomography. DTI was analysed with a voxel-based whole brain and region-based analysis of optic radiation, corpus callosum and further white matter. Correlations between RNFL, fractional anisotropy (FA) and other DTI-based parameters were assessed in patients and controls. RNFL correlated with optic radiation FA, but also with corpus callosum and remaining white matter FA. Our findings demonstrate that RNFL changes indicate white matter damage exceeding the visual pathway.
Institute of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Michael
M
Scheel
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Carsten
C
Finke
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Timm
T
Oberwahrenbrock
Institute of Interventional and Diagnostic Neuroradiology, University Medicine Göttingen, Germany.
Alina
A
Freing
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Luisa-Maria
LM
Pech
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Jeremias
J
Schlichting
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Carina
C
Sömmer
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany/Institute of Interventional and Diagnostic Neuroradiology, University Medicine Göttingen, Germany.
Jens
J
Wuerfel
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany/NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Friedemann
F
Paul
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany alexander.brandt@charite.de.
Alexander U
AU
Brandt
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
Multiple sclerosis; diffusion tensor imaging; optic nerve; optic radiation; optical coherence tomography; retina