title: Retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness in patients with schizophrenia: Influence of recent illness episodes.
abstract: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been recently used to investigate neuropsychiatric disorders. We aimed to study retinal OCT measures of patients with schizophrenia with respect to healthy controls, and to evaluate possible differences between recent illness episode (RIE) and non-recent illness episode (NRIE) patients. Thirty schizophrenia patients were classified as RIE (n=10) or NRIE (n=20), and compared with 30 matched controls. Statistical analyses included linear mixed-effects models to study the association between OCT measures and group membership. Multivariate models were used to control for potential confounders. In the adjusted linear mixed-effects regression model, patients had a significantly thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in overall measurements, and in the nasal, superior and inferior quadrants. Macular inner ring thickness and macular volume were also significantly smaller in patients than controls. Compared with controls, in the adjusted model only NRIE (but not RIE) patients had significantly reduced RNFL overall measures, superior RNFL, nasal RNFL, macular volume, and macular inner ring thickness. No significant correlation was found between illness duration and retinal measurements after controlling for age. In conclusion, retinal parameters observed using OCT in schizophrenia patients could be related to clinical status and merit attention as potential state biomarkers of the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Spain; Department of Surgery, Area of Ophthalmology, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ascaso
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12) Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain. Electronic address: roberto.rodriguez.jimenez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabezón
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Antón
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santabárbara
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De la Cámara
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Spain; Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario "Miguel Servet", Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Modrego
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quintanilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12) Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagney
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico Universitario "Lozano Blesa", Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Area of Ophthalmology, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cristóbal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017050:Episode of Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: Neuroimaging; OCT; Optical coherence tomography; Psychotic episode; RFNL; Retinal nerve fiber layer; Schizophrenia