Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the influence of experimentally reduced cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) on optic disc and macular perfusion.
Methods :
The experimental study included 2 monkeys which underwent cerebrospinal fluid drainage for 3 years, 2 monkeys in a sham group with only implant drainage catheter but no CSF drainage and 3 monkeys in a normal group with changes neither in IOP nor CSFP. Four years after baseline, both eyes of each subject were scanned by a high-speed 840-nm ewavelength OCT instrument. The split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography (SSADA) algorithm was used to compute 3-dimensional optic disc angiography. Flow index of both optic disc and macula were computed from 4 registered scans.
Results :
In the low CSFP group as compared to the sham group and normal group, flow index of radial peripapillar capillaries layer were markedly decreased. And, flow index of the superficial and deep retina were both lower than the sham group and normal group; CSFP and TLCPD were both significantly correlated with flow index of PRC layer, superficial and deep retina separately. IOP was only significantly correlated with flow index of RPC layer. Flow index of choroid layer was also significantly correlated with RNFL, GCC, C/D area, C/D volumn, C/D height, rim area, disc area and cup volumn.
Conclusions :
The results suggest that experimental models with an chronic CSFP reduction showed blood flow changes in optic disc which mainly affect the radial peripapillar capillaries superficial and deep retina. It supports the hypothesis that an experimental model with an chronic reduction in CSFP may be different in the process of optic nerve damage.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.