Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To study the nature and distribution of hydration in human lens as a function of age. Methods: NMR relaxographic studies were performed on 12 human lenses between ages of 25-82. The T2 and T1 relaxations were analyzed as a function of position within the lens from anterior cortex to posterior cortex. Results: The T2 relaxation times at the anterior and posterior cortex decrease sharply with increasing age. The T1 relaxation times at the anterior and posterior cortex increase with the age of lens. As one proceeds toward the lens nucleus the slopes of the decreases in T2 and the increases in T1 become less accentuated. Conclusion: The strength of the hydrogen bond in bound water within a lens increases as one proceeds from outer cortex toward nucleus. Similarly the strength of hydrogen bond in bound water increases in the outer cortexes with increasing age. The strength of the hydrogen bonding in the free and partially bound water also increases as one proceeds from cortex to nucleus. However, as the lens ages the strength of hydrogen bonding in the free and partially bound water decreases. This implies that aging is a syneretic process in human lenses.
Keywords: 432 imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • 309 aging • 431 imaging/image analysis: non-clinical