title: Retinal microvascular network geometry and cognitive abilities in community-dwelling older people: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study.
abstract: To examine the relationship between retinal vascular morphology and cognitive abilities in a narrow-age cohort of community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  
  Digital retinal images taken at age ∼73 years from 683 participants of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) were analysed with Singapore I Vessel Assessment (SIVA) software. Multiple regression models were applied to determine cross-sectional associations between retinal vascular parameters and general cognitive ability (g), memory, processing speed, visuospatial ability, crystallised cognitive ability and change in IQ from childhood to older age.
  
  
  
  After adjustment for cognitive ability at age 11 years and cardiovascular risk factors, venular length-to-diameter ratio was nominally significantly associated with processing speed (β=-0.116, p=0.01) andg(β=-0.079, p=0.04). Arteriolar length-to-diameter ratio was associated with visuospatial ability (β=0.092, p=0.04). Decreased arteriolar junctional exponent deviation and increased arteriolar branching coefficient values were associated with less relative decline in IQ between childhood and older age (arteriolar junctional exponent deviation: β=-0.101, p=0.02; arteriolar branching coefficient: β=0.089, p=0.04). Data are presented as standardised β coefficients (β) reflecting change in cognitive domain score associated with an increase of 1 SD unit in retinal parameter. None of these nominally significant associations remained significant after correction for multiple statistical testing.
  
  
  
  Retinal parameters contributed <1% of the variance in the majority of associations observed. Whereas retinal analysis may have potential for early detection of some types of age-related cognitive decline and dementia, our results present little evidence that retinal vascular features are associated with non-pathological cognitive ageing.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGrory
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Adele M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pattie
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Baljean
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wardlaw
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Fergus N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Doubal
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.affiliation: VAMPIRE project, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trucco
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.|Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001160:Arterioles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore; D014699:Venules / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Imaging; Retina