Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Marco Pellegrini, Aldo Vagge, Lorenzo Ferro Desideri, Federico Bernabei, Giacinto Triolo, Rodolfo Mastropasqua, Chiara Del Noce, Enrico Borrelli, Riccardo Sacconi, Claudio Iovino, Antonio Di Zazzo, Matteo Forlini, Giuseppe Giannaccare
Abstract
Retinal microcirculation shares similar features with cerebral small blood vessels. Thus, the retina may be considered an accessible 'window' to detect the microvascular damage occurring in the setting of neurodegenerative disorders. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a non-invasive imaging modality providing depth resolved images of blood flow in the retina, choroid, and optic nerve. In this review, we summarize the current literature on the application of OCT-A in glaucoma and central nervous system conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Future directions aiming at evaluating whether OCT-A can be an additional biomarker for the early diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative disorders are also discussed.