AUTHOR=Marquié Marta , García-Sánchez Ainhoa , Alarcón-Martín Emilio , Martínez Joan , Castilla-Martí Miguel , Castilla-Martí Luis , Orellana Adelina , Montrreal Laura , de Rojas Itziar , García-González Pablo , Puerta Raquel , Olivé Clàudia , Cano Amanda , Hernández Isabel , Rosende-Roca Maitée , Vargas Liliana , Tartari Juan Pablo , Esteban-De Antonio Ester , Bojaryn Urszula , Ricciardi Mario , Ariton Diana M. , Pytel Vanesa , Alegret Montserrat , Ortega Gemma , Espinosa Ana , Pérez-Cordón Alba , Sanabria Ángela , Muñoz Nathalia , Lleonart Núria , Aguilera Núria , Tárraga Lluís , Valero Sergi , Ruiz Agustín , Boada Mercè TITLE=Macular vessel density in the superficial plexus is not associated to cerebrospinal fluid core biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with mild cognitive impairment: The NORFACE cohort JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=17 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1076177 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1076177 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=Background

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel method in the dementia field that allows the detection of retinal vascular changes. The comparison of OCT-A measures with established Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related biomarkers is essential to validate the former as a marker of cerebrovascular impairment in the AD continuum. We aimed to investigate the association of macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial plexus quantified by OCT-A with the AT(N) classification based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ1-42, p181-tau and t-tau measurements in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Materials and methods

Clinical, demographic, ophthalmological, OCT-A and CSF core biomarkers for AD data from the Neuro-ophthalmology Research at Fundació ACE (NORFACE) project were analyzed. Differences in macular VD in four quadrants (superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal) among three AT(N) groups [Normal, Alzheimer and Suspected non-Alzheimer pathology (SNAP)] were assessed in a multivariate regression model, adjusted for age, APOE ε4 status, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and smoking habit, using the Normal AT(N) group as the reference category.

Results

The study cohort comprised 144 MCI participants: 66 Normal AT(N), 45 Alzheimer AT(N) and 33 SNAP AT(N). Regression analysis showed no significant association of the AT(N) groups with any of the regional macular VD measures (all, p > 0.16). The interaction between sex and AT(N) groups had no effect on differentiating VD. Lastly, CSF Aβ1-42, p181-tau and t-tau measures were not correlated to VD (all r < 0.13; p > 0.13).

Discussion

Our study showed that macular VD measures were not associated with the AT(N) classification based on CSF biomarkers in patients with MCI, and did not differ between AD and other underlying causes of cognitive decline in our cohort.