title: Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness changes in Alzheimer's disease: Results from a 12-month prospective case series.
abstract: To compare the 12-month peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) thickness change between AD patients and normal subjects.
  
  
  
  In this prospective case series, thirty-six patients with a diagnosis of mild to moderate AD and 36 age-matched control subjects were included. All the subjects underwent neuropsychological (MMSE, ADAS-Cog and CDR) and ophthalmological evaluation, including spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), at baseline and after 12 months.
  
  
  
  Compared with controls, AD patients had a significant reduction of the total pRNFL thickness, as well as the pRNFL thickness of the inferior and superior quadrants (p=0.04, p=0.001, and p=0.01, respectively, adjusted for baseline pRNFL measurement, age, gender, and axial length). Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between inferior pRNFL thickness change and ADAS-Cog scores change (r=-0.35, p=0.02) as well as CDR scores at 12 months (r=-0.39, p=0.008).
  
  
  
  Compared with controls, AD patients had a significant reduction in pRNFL thickness over a period of 12 months. The pRNFL reduction was more prominent in the inferior quadrant and paralleled patient's cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Electronic address: alessandro.trebbastoni@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trebbastoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Antonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruscolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imbriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Lena
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharbiya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014787:Vision Tests
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Biomarker; Optical coherence tomography; Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness