Evaluation of Supranuclear Lens Changes in Alzheimer's Disease Patients using Scheimpflug Imaging 3-Dimensional Densitometry

Abstract

 

Purpose:

 

To compare the density of the supranuclear region of lenses in Alzheimer’s disease patients to age and sex matched controls using Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging 3-D lens densitometry.

 

Methods:

 

An IRB approved single-masked prospective study of Pentacam High Resolution Scheimpflug evaluations of lenses in Alzheimer’s disease patients and age and sex matched controls was conducted. All tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed and all patients or legal guardians gave informed consent. Presence of other eye diseases such as glaucoma, uveitis, and corneal or retinal disorders were excluded. A single observer, masked to the patient’s group status, measured and recorded the average and maximum densities in the central 2 cubic mm corresponding to the supranuclear region using 3-D lens densitometry.

 

Results:

 

The Pentacam HR Scheimpflug imaging was performed on 10 eyes from 10 Alzheimer’s disease patients and 10 eyes of 10 age and sex matched control patients (Figure). The average age of Alzheimer's disease patients was 72.3±9.9 years and that of control patients was 68.3±6.78 years. The average and maximum densities of the supranuclear lens region were consistently higher in Alzheimer’s disease patients (12.28±1.25 and 24.72±6.01, respectively), when compared to age and sex matched controls (11.82±1.67 and 22.40±4.3). However, there was no statistically significant difference in these variables between the two groups (p=0.33 and p=0.50).

 

Conclusions:

 

Although a number of studies have reported the detection of beta amyloid deposits in the supranuclear region of the lenses of transgenic mouse models for Alzheimer’s disease and in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, our preliminary evaluation found no significant difference in the density of supranuclear regions in lenses of Alzheimer’s disease patients versus controls. Nevertheless, further investigations are necessary to evaluate the properties of the supranuclear lens region and a role for Scheimpflug Imaging densitometry in characterizing supranuclear lens changes in Alzheimer’s disease may still lie ahead.  

 

Keywords: cataract • imaging/image analysis: clinical • protein modifications-post translational