Factors associated with ocular perfusion measurements as obtained with laser speckle contrast imaging

Abstract

Purpose : Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a technique for quantifying perfusion at the level of the optic disc, retina, and choroid. This study aims to provide a normative reference of optic disc perfusion data obtained with a commercially available LSCI device and to analyze factors associated with ocular perfusion variability in healthy individuals.

Methods : Seventy-five eyes of 75 healthy Caucasian participants (42 M, 33 F, median age 35 years, range 10-82 years) underwent on the same day LSCI (Laser Speckle Flowgraphy RetFlow, Nidek Co., Japan) and Spectral-Domain optical coherence tomography (OCT, Cirrus device, Carl Zeiss Meditec, USA) to measure peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and macular ganglion cell + inner plexiform layer thickness. The intrasession repeatability and intersession reproducibility of optic disc perfusion, macular perfusion, retinal and choroidal relative flow volume (RFV) were evaluated in 20 participants who underwent measurements with LSCI on three different days at the same time of the day over a six-month period.

Results : Using multiple regression analysis, higher global optic disc perfusion was significantly associated with younger age, female sex, smaller optic disc area and higher RNFLT (P< 0.01 for all variables). Intrasession intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for LSCI parameters ranged from 0.787 to 0.967, while intersession ICCs ranged from 0.776 to 0.935. The ratios between the intersession and intrasession standard deviations of the LSCI measurements ranged from 1.00 to 1.78.

Conclusions : Anatomical variations of the optic disc and RNFL are associated with changes in optic disc perfusion. This finding supports the idea that optic disc perfusion is proportional to the amount of retinal ganglion cells. On the other hand, the RNFL contains blood vessels and blood volume could influence its thickness. LSCI perfusion parameters showed good intrasession repeatability and intersession reproducibility.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.