title: Attenuation of Choroidal Thickness in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: Evidence From an Italian Prospective Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the 12-month choroidal thickness (CT) change between Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and normal subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, observational study, 39 patients with a diagnosis of mild to moderate AD and 39 age-matched control subjects were included. All the subjects underwent neuropsychological (Mini Mental State Examination, Alzheimer disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale) and ophthalmological evaluation, including spectral domain optical coherence tomography, at baseline and after 12 months. CT was measured manually using the caliper tool of the optical coherence tomography device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 months, AD patients had a greater reduction of CT than controls (P≤0.05, adjusted for baseline CT, age, sex, axial length, and smoking).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT in patients with AD showed a rate of thinning greater than what could be expected during the natural course of aging.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Neurology and Psychiatry †Ophthalmology, Sapienza University, Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trebbastoni
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcelli
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mallone
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Antonio
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imbriano
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Lena
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharbiya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods