Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis
<i>Background:</i> Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden are seen in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Studies also describe multiple extracranial and intracranial vascular changes in pwMS. However, there have been few studies examining t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/596 |
| _version_ | 1797621508590272512 |
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| author | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski |
| author_facet | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski |
| author_sort | Nicholas Young |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background:</i> Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden are seen in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Studies also describe multiple extracranial and intracranial vascular changes in pwMS. However, there have been few studies examining the neuroretinal vasculature in MS. Our aim is to determine differences in retinal vasculature between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs) and to determine the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and retinal vasculature characteristics. <i>Methods:</i> A total of 167 pwMS and 48 HCs were scanned using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Earlier OCT scans were available for 101 pwMS and 35 HCs for an additional longitudinal analysis. Segmentation of retinal vasculature was performed in a blinded manner in MATLAB’s optical coherence tomography segmentation and evaluation GUI (OCTSEG) software. <i>Results:</i> PwMS has fewer retinal blood vessels when compared to HCs (35.1 vs. 36.8, <i>p</i> = 0.017). Over the 5.4 year follow up, and when compared to HCs, pwMS has a significant decrease in number of retinal vessels (average loss of −3.7 <i>p</i> = 0.007). Moreover, the total vessel diameter in pwMS does not change when compared to the increase in vessel diameter in the HCs (0.06 vs. 0.3, <i>p</i> = 0.017). Only in pwMS is there an association between lower RNFL thickness and fewer retinal vessel number and smaller diameter (r = 0.191, <i>p</i> = 0.018 and r = 0.216, <i>p</i> = 0.007). <i>Conclusions:</i> Over 5 years, pwMS exhibit significant retinal vascular changes that are related to greater atrophy of the retinal layers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:56:57Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:56:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-685313e8f9124534824ac2cb9c39a6ba2023-11-16T20:00:10ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182023-02-0113459610.3390/diagnostics13040596Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple SclerosisNicholas Young0Robert Zivadinov1Michael G. Dwyer2Niels Bergsland3Bianca Weinstock-Guttman4Dejan Jakimovski5Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USABuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USABuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USABuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USAJacobs Comprehensive MS Treatment and Research Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14202, USABuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA<i>Background:</i> Both greater retinal neurodegenerative pathology and greater cardiovascular burden are seen in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Studies also describe multiple extracranial and intracranial vascular changes in pwMS. However, there have been few studies examining the neuroretinal vasculature in MS. Our aim is to determine differences in retinal vasculature between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs) and to determine the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and retinal vasculature characteristics. <i>Methods:</i> A total of 167 pwMS and 48 HCs were scanned using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Earlier OCT scans were available for 101 pwMS and 35 HCs for an additional longitudinal analysis. Segmentation of retinal vasculature was performed in a blinded manner in MATLAB’s optical coherence tomography segmentation and evaluation GUI (OCTSEG) software. <i>Results:</i> PwMS has fewer retinal blood vessels when compared to HCs (35.1 vs. 36.8, <i>p</i> = 0.017). Over the 5.4 year follow up, and when compared to HCs, pwMS has a significant decrease in number of retinal vessels (average loss of −3.7 <i>p</i> = 0.007). Moreover, the total vessel diameter in pwMS does not change when compared to the increase in vessel diameter in the HCs (0.06 vs. 0.3, <i>p</i> = 0.017). Only in pwMS is there an association between lower RNFL thickness and fewer retinal vessel number and smaller diameter (r = 0.191, <i>p</i> = 0.018 and r = 0.216, <i>p</i> = 0.007). <i>Conclusions:</i> Over 5 years, pwMS exhibit significant retinal vascular changes that are related to greater atrophy of the retinal layers.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/596multiple sclerosisoptical coherence tomographyretinal vesselsretinal nerve fiber layervessel diametercardiovascular |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Young Robert Zivadinov Michael G. Dwyer Niels Bergsland Bianca Weinstock-Guttman Dejan Jakimovski Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis Diagnostics multiple sclerosis optical coherence tomography retinal vessels retinal nerve fiber layer vessel diameter cardiovascular |
| title | Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis |
| title_full | Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis |
| title_short | Retinal Blood Vessel Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Multiple Sclerosis |
| title_sort | retinal blood vessel analysis using optical coherence tomography oct in multiple sclerosis |
| topic | multiple sclerosis optical coherence tomography retinal vessels retinal nerve fiber layer vessel diameter cardiovascular |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/4/596 |
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