Abstract
Purpose :
Previous studies have used diffusion tensor imaging as a proxy of white matter microstructure integrity, showing a decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in specific brain regions in neurodegenerative disease, including Glaucoma. No previous study has compared the brain structure differences (MRI) in brain regions within and beyond the visual system across different levels of sulforaphane intake (a known neuroprotective dietary compound) in regards to how it pertains to Glaucoma risk.
Methods :
For 40,521 individuals in the imaging sub-study, MRI scans of the brain were collected. We analysed the relationship between glaucoma versus demographic characteristics (age and gender), dietary habits (sulforaphane intake via cruciferous vegetables), and white matter microstructure within distinct brain regions (diffusion MRI; dMRI). Selection of glaucoma cases was based on previously established criteria involving a combination of linked health record data (ICD-10: H40.1, H40.8, H40.9) and self-reported glaucoma at baseline assessment. Dietary information was assessed using 5 instances of a 24-hour dietary survey. Organization of white matter fibres was assessed for tracts associated with vision using fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, and diffusion tensor mode. Our study incorporated statistical modelling (linear and logistic regression) to assess the influence of age, sex, and sulforaphane intake on the observed changes in dMRI measures, when comparing glaucoma cases and control groups. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under project number 76765.
Results :
Overall, sulforaphane intake was very low in the study cohort. Age showed a significant association with both glaucoma and greater sulforaphane intake, particularly among females. Variations were discovered in structural integrity of different glaucoma-associated brain regions (with the corpus callosum exhibiting higher integrity). Several dMRI brain regions significantly impact the glaucoma outcome in a logistic regression model (controlled for age and sex).
Conclusions :
This study highlights the need for further investigation into sulforaphane-rich dietary interventions as a potential neuroprotective agent, due to its known strong antioxidant property.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.