[The relationship between cognitive impairment and changes in retinal neuroarchitectonics].

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between cognitive deficits and retinal neuroarchitectonics in Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and glaucoma based on optical coherence tomography.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A comprehensive examination of 90 patients with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and glaucoma was conducted. The patients were divided into three groups of 30 people each. The groups were comparable by gender and age and initial socio-economic status. All patients underwent a comprehensive neurological and neuropsychological study as well as optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The results of optical coherence tomography in Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma reveal retinal changes in the perifocal region in the upper and lower quadrants. In patients with vascular dementia, the process is observed in the foveal (central) region of the retina, which can be considered as a potential biomarker of the neurodegenerative damage. The severity of cognitive deficit in the Alzheimer's disease group correlates with the degree of degeneration in the layers of the peripapillary layer of the nerve fibers of the retina of the temporal region, the perifocal region of the lower quadrant of the retina, ganglion cells, and the inner plexiform layers of the retina. In the vascular dementia group, the severity of cognitive deficit positively correlates with the degree of cell degeneration in the foveal region of the inner plexiform retinal layer.