Vagiakis Iordanis, Bakirtzis Christos, Andravizou Athina, Pirounides Demetrios
Department of Ophthalmology, AHEPA University Hospital, 54626 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Second Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Aug 9;12(16):1589. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12161589.
Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent form of dementia. Apart from its traditional clinical diagnostic methods, novel ocular imaging biomarkers have the potential to significantly enhance the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Ophthalmologists might be able to play a crucial role in this multidisciplinary approach, aiding in the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease through the use of advanced retinal imaging techniques. This systematic literature review the utilization of optical coherence tomography angiography biomarkers, specifically vessel density and the foveal avascular zone, for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. A comprehensive search was performed across multiple academic journal databases, including 11 relevant studies. The selected studies underwent thorough analysis to assess the potential of these optical coherence tomography angiography biomarkers as diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's disease. The assessment of vessel density and the foveal avascular zone have emerged as a promising avenue for identifying and diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. However, it is imperative to acknowledge that further targeted investigations are warranted to address the inherent limitations of the existing body of literature. These limitations encompass various factors such as modest sample sizes, heterogeneity among study populations, disparities in optical coherence tomography angiography imaging protocols, and inconsistencies in the reported findings. In order to establish the clinical utility and robustness of these biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, future research endeavors should strive to overcome these limitations by implementing larger-scale studies characterized by standardized protocols and comprehensive assessments.
阿尔茨海默病是最常见的痴呆形式。除了传统的临床诊断方法外，新型眼部成像生物标志物有潜力显著提高阿尔茨海默病的诊断水平。眼科医生在这种多学科方法中可能发挥关键作用，通过使用先进的视网膜成像技术帮助早期发现和诊断阿尔茨海默病。本系统文献综述了光学相干断层扫描血管造影生物标志物，特别是血管密度和黄斑无血管区，在阿尔茨海默病诊断中的应用。在多个学术期刊数据库中进行了全面检索，包括11项相关研究。对所选研究进行了深入分析，以评估这些光学相干断层扫描血管造影生物标志物作为阿尔茨海默病诊断工具的潜力。血管密度和黄斑无血管区的评估已成为识别和诊断阿尔茨海默病的一个有前景的途径。然而，必须认识到，有必要进行进一步的针对性研究，以解决现有文献的固有局限性。这些局限性包括各种因素，如样本量适中、研究人群异质性、光学相干断层扫描血管造影成像方案的差异以及报告结果的不一致性。为了确定这些生物标志物在阿尔茨海默病诊断中的临床实用性和稳健性，未来的研究应努力通过开展以标准化方案和全面评估为特征的大规模研究来克服这些局限性。
