Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 Dec 1;64(15):40. doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.15.40.
Increasing evidence suggests that retinal microvasculature may reflect global cerebral atrophy. However, little is known about the relation of retinal microvasculature with specific brain regions and brain networks. Therefore, we aimed to unravel the association of retinal microvasculature with gray matter changes and structural covariance network using a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis.
One hundred and forty-four volunteers without previously known neurological diseases were recruited from West China Hospital, Sichuan University between April 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. Retinal microvasculature of superficial vascular plexus (SVP), intermediate capillary plexus (ICP), and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were measured by optical coherence tomography angiography using an automatic segmentation. The VBM and structural covariance network analyses were applied to process brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. The associations of retinal microvasculature with voxel-wise gray matter volumes and structural covariance network were assessed by linear regression models.
In the study, 137 participants (mean age = 59.72 years, 37.2% men) were included for the final analysis. Reduced perfusion in SVP was significantly associated with reduced voxel-wise gray matter volumes of the brain regions including the insula, putamen, occipital, frontal, and temporal lobes, all of which were located in the anterior part of the brain supplied by internal carotid artery, except the occipital lobe. In addition, these regions were also involved in visual processing and cognitive impairment (such as left inferior occipital gyrus, left lingual gyrus, and right parahippocampal gyrus). In regard to the structural covariance, the perfusions in SVP were positively related to the structural covariance of the left lingual gyrus seed with the left middle occipital gyrus, the right middle occipital gyrus, and the left middle frontal gyrus.
Poor perfusion in SVP was correlated with reduced voxel-wise gray matter volumes and structural covariance networks in regions related to visual processing and cognitive impairment. It suggests that retinal microvasculature may offer a window to identify aging related cerebral alterations.
越来越多的证据表明，视网膜微血管可能反映整体脑萎缩。然而，关于视网膜微血管与特定脑区和脑网络的关系知之甚少。因此，我们旨在通过体素形态计量学（VBM）分析来揭示视网膜微血管与灰质变化和结构协变网络的关联。
2021 年 4 月 1 日至 12 月 31 日，我们从四川大学华西医院招募了 144 名无先前已知神经疾病的志愿者。使用自动分割法通过光相干断层扫描血管造影术测量浅层血管丛（SVP）、中间毛细血管丛（ICP）和深层毛细血管丛（DCP）的视网膜微血管。对脑磁共振成像（MRI）图像进行 VBM 和结构协变网络分析。通过线性回归模型评估视网膜微血管与体素水平灰质体积和结构协变网络的关联。
在这项研究中，纳入了 137 名参与者（平均年龄=59.72 岁，37.2%为男性）进行最终分析。SVP 灌注减少与包括脑岛、壳核、枕叶、额叶和颞叶在内的脑区的体素水平灰质体积减少显著相关，所有这些脑区都位于颈内动脉供应的大脑前部，除了枕叶。此外，这些区域还与视觉处理和认知障碍有关（如左枕下回、左舌回和右海马旁回）。关于结构协变，SVP 的灌注与左舌回种子与左中枕回、右中枕回和左中额回的结构协变呈正相关。
SVP 灌注不良与与视觉处理和认知障碍相关的脑区体素水平灰质体积减少和结构协变网络相关。这表明视网膜微血管可能提供了一个识别与衰老相关的大脑改变的窗口。
