Retinal Diseases and Parkinson Disease: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

IntroductionPatients with Parkinson disease (PD) tend to have ophthalmic symptoms. Retinal diseases are associated with central nervous system diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated the association of retinal diseases with PD, especially the temporal relationship before and after PD diagnosis.MethodsData were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. In total, 21,845 patients with newly diagnosed PD were matched with four controls each on the basis of propensity score. This study was bidirectional. A case–control study evaluated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of retinal disease before PD diagnosis by using conditional logistic regression. Furthermore, a cohort study evaluated the adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (aSHR) for new-onset retinal and optic nerve diseases after PD diagnosis by using competing risk analysis. The association between PD with optic nerve diseases and glaucoma (another common ophthalmic diseases with the consequence of retinal dysfunction) were also analyzed as reference.ResultsIn the case–control study, PD was found to be significantly comorbid with recent and remote retinal disease [recent: ≤ 5 years, aOR: 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.23; remote: > 5 years, aOR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04–1.34]. No similar association was identified between optic nerve disease or glaucoma with PD. In the cohort study, patients with PD were found to have a low risk of retinal disease in short-term (≤ 5 years, aSHR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71–0.93) and long-term (> 5 years, aSHR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72–0.93) follow-up.ConclusionThe study findings demonstrated that patients with prediagnostic PD were at greater risk of retinal disease than non-PD participants, but the risk reversed afterward. Thus, retinal disease may be a premotor manifestation of PD, and there may be some possible effect of dopamine supplements on retina.

Stable abnormalities of contrast discrimination sensitivity in subthreshold depression: A longitudinal study

“…On the one hand, it is well established that depressive individuals suffer from deficits of the dopaminergic system (for reviews, Belujon & Grace, 2017; Delva & Stanwood, 2021; Dunlop & Nemeroff, 2007). On the other hand, dopamine acts within the retina (Chen et al, 2021; Ghilardi et al, 1989; Weil et al, 2016), which is regarded as the first processing stage of the visual system (for a recent review, Pokorny & Smith, 2020). Previous studies have shown that the abnormality in contrast sensitivity is associated with reduced dopamine activity in the retina (Bodis‐Wollner et al, 1987; Langheinrich et al, 2000; Polo et al, 2016).…”

Frameshift Variant in AMPD2 in Cirneco dell’Etna Dogs with Retinopathy and Tremors

“…Indeed, the nervous system is frequently impacted in syndromic retinal disorders, including Alzheimer's disease patients and animal models [19,20]. In addition, alterations in the structure of the retina and choroid, as well as in its microvasculature, occur as part of nonmotor symptoms observed in Parkinson's Disease [21,22]. In Batten disease, the classic juvenile form of human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, ocular symptoms manifest before neurologic symptoms [23], while in CLN8 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, disease progression (onset of myoclonus and cognitive impairment) is rapid, and visual loss is often noted within two years of diagnosis [24].…”