Macular vessel density in the superficial plexus is not a proxy of cerebrovascular damage in non-demented individuals: data from the NORFACE cohort
Ainhoa García‐Sánchez, Óscar Sotolongo‐Grau, Juan Pablo Tartari, Ángela Sanabria, Ester Esteban de Antonio, Alba Pérez‐Cordón, Montserrat Alegret, Vanesa Pytel, Joan Martínez, Núria Aguilera, Itziar de Rojas, Amanda Cano, Pablo García‐González, Raquel Puerta, Clàudia Olivé, María Luisa Sarrate Capdevila, Fernando García‐Gutiérrez, Assumpta Vivas, Marta Gómez‐Chiari, J.C. Juárez Giménez, M. A. Tejero, M. Castilla, Luis Castilla‐Martí, Lluís Tárraga, Sergi Valero, Agustı́n Ruiz, Merçé Boada, Marta Marquié, on behalf of the FACEHBI study group, J. A. Alllué, Franco Appiani, Diana M. Ariton, Marcelo L. Berthier, U. Bojayrin, Mar Buendía, Santiago Bullich, Francisco Campos, Sergio Castillo, Pilar Cañabate, L. Cañada, Claudia Cuevas, S. Diego, Ana Espinosa, A. Gailhajenet, M. Guitart, Marta Ibarria, A. Lafuente, Núria Lleonart, F. Lomeña, E. Martín, M. Moreno, A.M. Morera, Laura Montrreal, A. Niñerola, A. B. Nogales, L. Núñez, Adelina Orellana, Gemma Ortega, Antonio Páez, Ana Pancho, E. Pelejà, Enrique Pérez-Martínez, Virginia Pérez‐Grijalba, María Pascual‐Lucas, Andrés Perissinotti, Sílvia Preckler, Mario Ricciardi, Núria Roé-Vellvé, Judith Romero, M. I. Ramis, Maitée Rosende‐Roca, Manuel Sarasa, S. Seguer, Andrew Stephens, J. Terencio, M.D. Martínez del Valle Torres, Liliana Vargas, on behalf of the BIOFACE study group, Franco Appiani, Diana M. Ariton, U. Bojayrin, Mar Buendía, A. Calvet, M. J. Castillón, Pilar Cañabate, L. Cañada, Claudia Cuevas, Itziar de Rojas, S. Diego, Ana Espinosa, A. Gailhajenet, M. Guitart, Marta Ibarria, A. Lafuente, Núria Lleonart, E. Martín, M. Moreno, A.M. Morera, Laura Montrreal, A. B. Nogales
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel tool that allows the detection of retinal vascular changes. We investigated the association of macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial plexus assessed by OCT-A with measures of cerebrovascular pathology and atrophy quantified by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in non-demented individuals. METHODS: Clinical, demographical, OCT-A, and brain MRI data from non-demented research participants were included. We analyzed the association of regional macular VD with brain vascular burden using the Fazekas scale assessed in a logistic regression analysis, and the volume of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) assessed in a multiple linear regression analysis. We also explored the associations of macular VD with hippocampal volume, ventricle volume and Alzheimer disease cortical signature (ADCS) thickness assessed in multiple linear regression analyses. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, syndromic diagnosis and cardiovascular variables. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 188 participants: 89 with subjective cognitive decline and 99 with mild cognitive impairment. No significant association of regional macular VD with the Fazekas categories (all, p > 0.111) and WMH volume (all, p > 0.051) were detected. VD in the nasal quadrant was associated to hippocampal volume (p = 0.007), but no other associations of macular VD with brain atrophy measures were detected (all, p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: Retinal vascular measures were not a proxy of cerebrovascular damage in non-demented individuals, while VD in the nasal quadrant was associated with hippocampal atrophy independently of the amyloid status.