Abstract
Purpose :
To present the methodology of a collaborative research study that aims to investigate the relationship between retinal vascular parameters and mild cognitive impairment and dementia in a sub-set of participants from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project. Associations between retinal vascular features and cognitive function will be examined in the subset of participants with diabetes.
Methods :
This was a cross-sectional study of participants recruited from the fourth wave of PATH Through Life Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Health and Memory sub-studies, between November 2013 and April 2015. All individuals underwent detailed anthropometric measurements as well as cognitive, neuropsychological, and mental health assessment. A questionnaire developed by the research team ascertained ocular history, diabetes status and self-rated vision quality for each participant. Two-field digital retinal photography was conducted (CR6 49 MN imaging system, Canon). Diabetic retinopathy grading was performed by expert graders in a masked fashion in accordance with the modified Airlie House Classification system.
Results :
A total of 325 individuals completed the MRI sub-study (n=274) or the Health and Memory sub-study (n=51) during the study period. Of these, 255 (78%) (151 males and 104 females), aged 72 to 78 years, had clinical data that met the study inclusion criteria. One hundred and ninety eight participants (78%) were classified as cognitively healthy, 42 (16%) had mild neurocognitive disorders and 15 (6%) displayed major neurocognitive disorders according to DSM-V clinical criteria. The presence of diabetic retinopathy was observed in 21 participants with diabetes. Of the 21 participants with diabetic retinopathy, 11 had minimal non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 10 had mild NPDR. Retinal vascular analysis was performed in all subjects.
Conclusions :
The PATH Through Life Eye study provides a unique opportunity to explore associations between retinal vascular parameters, including diabetic retinopathy, and a host of cognitive and neurological imaging parameters.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.