title: Confocal scanning laser tomography of the optic nerve head on the patients with Alzheimer's disease compared to glaucoma and control.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate optic nerve head (ONH) differences of the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) measured by confocal scanning laser tomography [Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) III] and compare with glaucoma and control subjects. Eighty-four patients were enrolled into the study: 44 eyes of 24 patients with mild to moderate AD (Group 1), 68 eyes of 35 patients with glaucoma (Group 2), and 49 eyes of 25 heathy volunteers as a control (Group 3). A complete ophthalmologic examination as well as a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopic assessment with HRT III were performed on all patients. Mean values of the ONH topographic parameters such as rim area (RA), rim volume (RV), height variation contour, linear cup/disc ratio, cup shape measure, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were recorded. Mean values of RNFL thickness was 0.23 ± 0.07 in AD, 0.22 ± 0.09 in glaucoma and 0.24 ± 0.07 in the control group (p = 0.323). RA and RV were significantly lower, and linear C/D ratio was significantly higher in the glaucoma group when compared to AD and control (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between AD and control for the optic disc parameters tested (p > 0.05). We observed a negative correlation of the age with RNFL in all of the groups (p < 0.005). Age was the most important parameter affecting RNFL. Our results suggest that HRT does not demonstrate ONH differences between AD and control group, while it successfully differentiates glaucoma from AD and control cases of older age.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Clinics, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, E5 Road, İçerenköy, Ataşehir, Istanbul, 34752, Turkey, sevdaydin@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sevda Aydin
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kurna
authors.forename: Gokcen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akar
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agirman
authors.forename: Eren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gozke
authors.forename: Tomris
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sengor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000379:methods; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000379:methods*