Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics
Summary
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as a non-invasive imaging modality that captures high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina, allowing quantitative assessment of neuronal and vascular structures linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In AD and its prodromal stage, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), characteristic reductions in the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and inner macular layers reflect neurodegenerative processes analogous to cortical atrophy. Advances in OCT angiography (OCTA) further permit visualisation of the retinal microvasculature, revealing decreased capillary density and perfusion deficits that parallel cerebral small-vessel changes. These retinal biomarkers correlate with cognitive performance and amyloid deposition, offering the prospect of accessible screening, longitudinal monitoring and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy across diverse populations. By harnessing the shared embryological origin of the retina and central nervous system, OCT-based diagnostics hold global potential to complement established cerebrospinal fluid and PET-based approaches, especially in resource-limited settings.
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Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in optical coherence tomography in alzheimer's disease diagnostics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): A non-invasive imaging technique using low-coherence interferometry to obtain micrometre-resolution, cross-sectional views of the retina.
Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer (RNFL): The innermost retinal layer composed of unmyelinated axons of retinal ganglion cells, whose thinning indicates neuronal loss.
OCT Angiography (OCTA): An extension of OCT that detects motion contrast from blood cells to map retinal and choroidal microvasculature without dye injection.
Vessel Density (VD): The proportion of area occupied by blood vessels within a defined retinal region, used to quantify microvascular integrity.
Macular Thickness: The combined thickness of retinal layers at the central retina, reflecting cell body and synaptic layer integrity.
References
- Optical Coherence Tomography in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE (2015).
- Parafoveal vessel loss and correlation between peripapillary vessel density and cognitive performance in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s Disease on optical coherence tomography angiography. PLOS ONE (2019).
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