Association of retinal layer measurements and adult cognitive function

Abstract

Objective:To quantify the associations of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL) volume with cognitive functioning, as well as to investigate how demographic and vascular health factors impact upon these associations, in a population-based sample of adults.Methods:The sample included the first 3000 participants (age range = 30 – 95) of the Rhineland Study (recruited from March 2016 to December 2018), who underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and cognitive assessment at one of two identical study centres in Bonn, Germany. We used multiple linear regression models to examine the relationships between retinal layer measurements and cognitive functioning after adjustment for confounders, and also examined the moderating effects of demographic and vascular health factors.Results:The analytical sample included 2,483 participants, who were 54.3 years old (standard deviation = 13.8 years), on average. After full adjustment, each standard deviation decrease in mGCL volume was associated with a greater decrease in global function than that of pRNFL thickness (β = -0.048 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.077, -0.018] vs. β = -0.021 [95% CI = -0.049, 0.007]). These relationships increased in strength with advancing age, were stronger in participants with hypertension, and were reversed in current smokers relative to non-smokers.Conclusions:Macular GCL volume is more strongly related to adult cognitive functioning than pRNFL thickness, making it a better potential biomarker of neurodegeneration. Age and vascular health factors play important roles in determining the strength and direction of this association.

Ganglion Cell-Inner Plexiform Layer Thickness is Associated with Persistently Cognitive Decline -The Rugao Longevity and Aging Study

“…Similar results were also observed in the Rotterdam Study [13]. [36], which proved our results in some degree.…”

Reading cognition from the eyes—association of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness with cognitive performance in a population-based study

“…For ‘TMT-A’, other population-based studies also found an association of thinner RNFLT with worse results for cognitive performance: Rotterdam Study 10 globally using letter-digit substitution test, UK-Biobank 17 for segments T, TI with timed test of symbol matching (macular RNFLT). In the Epic Norfolk study, 51 the related letter-cancellation test was associated with RNFLT measured with HRT but only when not fully adjusting; in the Lothian Birth Cohort, 13 general processing speed was associated with the inferior quadrant, and in the Rhineland Study, 11 a statistically non-significant trend in TMT-A was found.…”

“…Five studies present data for global RNFLT alone. 10 , 11 , 13–15 The Lothian Birth cohort 13 gives results for four segments. Only the Three-City-Alienor study 12 provides a spatial resolution of six segments as our study, however, for much less participants and fewer cognitive tests.…”

“… 10 Less macular ganglion cell layer volume was associated with worse processing speed and worse verbal episodic memory in the ‘Rhineland study’ ( n = 2483). 11 …”

“…Investigation of circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (cpRNFLT) in the Rotterdam study revealed association of thinner global values with low performance in several cognitive tests, this was supported by a trend in the Rhineland study. 10 , 11 …”