Retinal Functional and Structural Neural Indices: Potential Biomarkers for the Monitoring of Cerebral Neurodegeneration: The Maastricht Study.

May 15, 2023

Experts: Frank C T van der Heide,Sara Mokhtar,Anjani Khanna,Mozhda Said,Ronald M A Henry,Abraham A Kroon,Pieter C Dagnelie,Simone J P M Eussen,Tos T J M Berendschot,Jan S A G Schouten,Miranda T Schram,Carla J H van der Kallen,Marleen M J van Greevenbroek,Anke Wesselius,Hans H C M Savelberg,Nicolaas C Schaper,Carroll A B Webers,Coen D A Stehouwer

If retinal indices of neurodegeneration are to be biomarkers for the monitoring of cerebral neurodegeneration, it is important to establish whether potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia are associated with retinal neurodegenerative changes.
To study associations of dementia risk factors with retinal sensitivity, an index of retinal neural function, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, an index of retinal neural structure.
We used cross-sectional data from The Maastricht Study (up to 5,666 participants, 50.5% men, mean age 59.7), and investigated associations with regression analyses (adjusted for potential confounders).
Most risk factors under study (i.e., hyperglycemia, unhealthy diet, lower cardiorespiratory fitness, smoking, alcohol consumption, and hypertension) were significantly associated with lower retinal sensitivity and lower RNFL thickness.
Findings of this population-based study support the concept that retinal neural indices may be biomarkers for the monitoring of therapeutic strategies that aim to prevent early-stage cerebral neurodegeneration and, ultimately, dementia.

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ABOUT THE EXPERTS

Frank C T van der Heide,Sara Mokhtar,Anjani Khanna,Mozhda Said,Ronald M A Henry,Abraham A Kroon,Pieter C Dagnelie,Simone J P M Eussen,Tos T J M Berendschot,Jan S A G Schouten,Miranda T Schram,Carla J H van der Kallen,Marleen M J van Greevenbroek,Anke Wesselius,Hans H C M Savelberg,Nicolaas C Schaper,Carroll A B Webers,Coen D A Stehouwer

Frank C T van der Heide

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

MHeNS School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

University Eye Clinic Maastricht, MUMC+, TheNetherlands.

Sara Mokhtar

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

MHeNS School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

University Eye Clinic Maastricht, MUMC+, TheNetherlands.

Anjani Khanna

Department of Ophthalmology, Sharpsight eye hospital, New Delhi, India.

Mozhda Said

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Ronald M A Henry

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Heart and Vascular Centre, MUMC+ Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Abraham A Kroon

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Pieter C Dagnelie

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Simone J P M Eussen

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Epidemiology, UM, The Netherlands.

CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, UM, The Netherlands.

Tos T J M Berendschot

MHeNS School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

University Eye Clinic Maastricht, MUMC+, TheNetherlands.

Jan S A G Schouten

University Eye Clinic Maastricht, MUMC+, TheNetherlands.

Department of Ophthalmology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Miranda T Schram

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

MHeNS School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Heart and Vascular Centre, MUMC+ Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Carla J H van der Kallen

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Marleen M J van Greevenbroek

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.

Anke Wesselius

Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Complex Genetics, UM, The Netherlands.

NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, UM, The Netherlands.

Hans H C M Savelberg

NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, UM, The Netherlands.

Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, UM, The Netherlands.

Nicolaas C Schaper

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Social Medicine, MUMC+, The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Carroll A B Webers

MHeNS School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

University Eye Clinic Maastricht, MUMC+, TheNetherlands.

Coen D A Stehouwer

CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University (UM), The Netherlands.

Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+ (MUMC+), The Netherlands.