Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Optic Nerve Head and Nerve Fiber Layer in Alzheimer's Disease

Optic Nerve Head and Nerve Fiber Layer in Alzheimer's Disease Abstract • We compared (1) the differences in the retinal nerve fiber layer between 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 30 age- and race-matched normal controls with use of blue-light high-resolution photography, (2) the differences in disc pallor between 30 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 32 controls with use of a boundary-tracking program and fundus photographs, and (3) the topographic disc variables between 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 36 controls with use of an optic nerve head analyzer. A higher proportion of patients with Alzheimer's disease had detectable nerve fiber damage as seen by red-free photography compared with controls. Although the pallor area-to-disc area ratio was not significantly different between patients with Alzheimer's disease and controls, the patients with higher pallor area-to-disc area ratios had higher Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) scores and longer durations of disease. Patients had an increased cupto-disc ratio and cup volume and decreased disc rim area compared with controls. These variables also correlated significantly with ADAS scores and the duration of disease. The correlation among the optic nerve head changes and the ADAS scores in patients with Alzheimer's disease suggests a potential role for optic nerve head analysis in monitoring the progression of Alzheimer's disease and in assessing the effectiveness of any treatments developed. References 1. Terry RD, Wisniewski HM. Ultrastructure of senile dementia and of experimental analogs . In: Gaitz C, ed. Aging and the Brain . New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1972:89-116. 2. Katzman R. The prevalence and malignancy of Alzheimer's disease: a major killer . Arch Neurol . 1976;33:217-218. Editorial. 3. Cogan DG. Visual disturbances with focal progressive dementing disease . Am J Ophthalmol . 1985;100:68-72. 4. Khachaturian ZS. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease . Arch Neurol . 1985;42:1097-1105. 5. Kemper T. Neuroanatomical and neuropathological changes in normal aging and in dementia . In: Albert ML, ed. Clinical Neurology of Aging . London, England: Oxford University Press; 1984:9-52. 6. Bareley LL, Zemcov A, Blass JP, Sansone J. Survival in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementias . Neurology . 1985;35:834-840. 7. Lewis DA, Campbell MJ, Terry RD. Laminar and regional distribution of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease: a quantitative study of visual and auditory cortices . J Neurosci . 1987;7:1799-1808. 8. Johnson BM, Bassi CJ, Sadun AA. Patterns of degeneration in Alzheimer's disease: striate and extrastriate visual cortex . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1987;28( (suppl) ):32. Abstract. 9. Hinton DR, Sadun AA, Blanks JC, Miller C. Optic nerve degeneration in Alzheimer's disease . N Engl J Med . 1986;315:485-487. 10. Sadun AA, Borchert M, Devita E, Hinton DR, Bassi CJ. Assessment of visual impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease . Am J Ophthalmol . 1987;104:113-120. 11. Quigley HA, Miller NR, George T. Clinical evaluation of nerve fiber atrophy as an indicator of glaucomatous optic nerve damage . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1564-1571. 12. Airaksinen PJ, Drance SM. Neuroretinal rim area and retinal nerve fiber in glaucoma . Arch Ophthalmol . 1985;103:203-204. 13. Nagin PA, Schwartz B, Nanba K. The reproducibility of computerized boundary analysis for measuring optic disc pallor in the normal optic disc . Ophthalmology . 1985;92:242-250. 14. Caprioli J, Klingbeil U, Sears M, Pope B. Reproducibility of optic disc measurements with computerized analysis of stereoscopic video images . Arch Ophthalmol . 1986;104:1035-1039. 15. Quigley HA, Sanchez RM, Dunkelberger GR, L'Hernault NL, Baginski TA. Chronic glaucoma selectively damages large optic nerve fibers . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1987;28:913-920. 16. Rosen WG, Mohs RC, Davis KL. A new scale for Alzheimer's disease . Am J Psychiatry . 1984;141:1356-1364. 17. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folesstein M, Katzman R, Prince D, Stadlan EM. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services task forces on Alzheimer's disease . Neurology . 1984;34:939-944. 18. Sommer A, D'Anna SA, Kues HA, George T. High-resolution photography of the retinal nerve fiber layer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1983;96:535-539. 19. Nagin P, Schwartz B. Approaches to image analysis of the optic disc . In: IEEE Computer Society: Fifth International Conference on Pattern Recognition . New York, NY: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; 1980:948-956. 20. StatView 512+ Manual . Calabasas, Calif: BrainPower Inc; 1986:69-151. 21. Cornsweet TN, Hersh S, Humphries JC, Beesmer RJ, Cornsweet DW. Quantification of the shape and color of the optic nerve head . In: Brenin GM, Siegel IM, eds. Advances in Diagnostic Visual Optics . New York, NY: Springer-Verlag NY Inc; 1983:141-149. 22. Mikelberg FS, Douglas GR, Schultzer M. Cornsweet TN, Wijsman K. Reliability of the disk topographic measurements recorded with a videoophthalmolgraph . Am J Ophthalmol . 1984;98:98-102. 23. Mikelberg FS, Douglas GR. Schultzer M, Airaksinen PJ, Wijsman K, Mawson D. The correlation between cup-disc ratio, neuroretinal rim area, and the optic disc area measured by the videoophthalmograph (Rodenstock Analyzer) and clinical measurement . Am J Ophthalmol . 1986;101:7-12. 24. Shields MB, Martone J, Shelton A, Ollie A. MacMillan J. Reproducibility of topographic measurements with the optic nerve head analyzer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1987;104:581-586. 25. Shields MB, Tiedman JS, Miller KN, Hickingbotham D, Ollie A. Accuracy of topographic measurements with the Optic Nerve Head Analyzer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1989;107:273-279. 26. Yamauchi K, Matsubara K, Funahashi M, Kitazawa Y. The accuracy of optic disc measurement with Optic Nerve Head Analyzer in vivo and in vitro study . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1989;30( (suppl) ):430. Abstract. 27. Fleiss JL. The Design and Analysis of Clinical Experiments . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1986:1-32. 28. Liu K. Measurement error and its impact on partial correlation and multiple linear regression analysis . Am J Epidemiol . 1988;127:864-874. 29. Cogan DG. Neurology of the Visual System . Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas Publisher; 1966:133-149. 30. Sadun AA, Miao M, Johnson BM. Morphometric analysis of optic nerve axons in patients with Alzheimer's disease . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1986;27( (suppl) ):198. Abstract. 31. Bassi CJ, Blanks JC, Hinton DR. Sadun AA, Miller CA. Retinal ganglion cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease . Soc Neurosci . 1987;13:1328. Abstract. 32. Blanks RHI, Blanks JC. Retina defect in Alzheimer's patients . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1988;29( (suppl) ):35. Abstract. 33. Sadun AA, Johnson B, Miao M. Axon caliber populations in the human optic nerve: change with age and disease . In: Proceedings of the Sixth Meeting of the International Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, Hakone Japan, 1986 . Amsterdam, Holland: Aeolus Press; 1987:5-20. 34. Balazsi AG, Rootman J, Drance SM, Schulzer M, Douglas GR. The effect of age on the nerve fiber population of the human optic nerve . Am J Ophthalmol . 1984;97:760-766. 35. Hedges TR III. Barbas NR. Clinical evaluation of the retinal nerve fiber layer in Alzheimer's disease . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1990;31( (suppl) ):356. 36. Fishbein SL, Schwartz B. Optic disc in glaucoma: topography and extent of fluorescein filling defects . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1975-1979.Crossref 37. Loebl M, Schwartz B. Fluorescein angiographic defects of the optic disc in ocular hypertension . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1980-1984.Crossref 38. Schwartz B, Rieser JC, Fishbein SL. Fluorescein angiographic defects of the optic disc in glaucoma . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1961-1974.Crossref 39. Sebag J, Delori FC, Feke GT, et al. Anterior optic nerve blood flow decreases in clinical neurogenic optic atrophy . Ophthalmology . 1986;93:858-865.Crossref 40. Frisen L, Claesson M. Narrowing of the retinal arterioles in descending optic atrophy: a quantitative clinical study . Ophthalmology . 1984;91:1342-1346.Crossref 41. Radius R, Maumenee AE. Optic atrophy and glaucomatous cupping . Am J Ophthalmol . 1978;85:145-153. 42. Trobe JD, Glaser JS, Cassady J, Herschler J, Anderson DR. Nonglaucomatous excavation of the optic disc . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1046-1050.Crossref 43. Trobe JD, Glaser JS, Cassady JC. Optic atrophy, differential diagnosis by fundus observation alone . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1040-1045.Crossref 44. Caprioli J, Miller J. Optic disc rim area is related to disc size in normal subjects . Arch Ophthalmol . 1987;105:1683-1685.Crossref 45. Trick GL, Barris MC, Bickler-Bluth M. Abnormal pattern electroretinograms in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type . Ann Neurol . 1989;26:226-231.Crossref 46. Sadun AA, Bassi CJ. Optic nerve damage in Alzheimer's disease . Ophthalmology . 1990;97:9-17.Crossref 47. Ho JN, Sadun AA, Dato-On S, Heller KB. Clinical-pathological correlations in Alzheimer's disease optic neuropathy . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1989;30( (suppl) ):233. Abstract. 48. Kiyosawa M, Bosley TM, Chawluk J, et al. Alzheimer's disease with prominent visual symptoms: clinical and metabolic evaluation . Ophthalmology . 1989;96:1077-1086.Crossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Ophthalmology American Medical Association

Optic Nerve Head and Nerve Fiber Layer in Alzheimer's Disease

Loading next page...
 
/lp/american-medical-association/optic-nerve-head-and-nerve-fiber-layer-in-alzheimer-s-disease-bMsVFx8URv

References (55)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-9950
eISSN
1538-3687
DOI
10.1001/archopht.1991.01080020045040
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract • We compared (1) the differences in the retinal nerve fiber layer between 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 30 age- and race-matched normal controls with use of blue-light high-resolution photography, (2) the differences in disc pallor between 30 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 32 controls with use of a boundary-tracking program and fundus photographs, and (3) the topographic disc variables between 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 36 controls with use of an optic nerve head analyzer. A higher proportion of patients with Alzheimer's disease had detectable nerve fiber damage as seen by red-free photography compared with controls. Although the pallor area-to-disc area ratio was not significantly different between patients with Alzheimer's disease and controls, the patients with higher pallor area-to-disc area ratios had higher Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) scores and longer durations of disease. Patients had an increased cupto-disc ratio and cup volume and decreased disc rim area compared with controls. These variables also correlated significantly with ADAS scores and the duration of disease. The correlation among the optic nerve head changes and the ADAS scores in patients with Alzheimer's disease suggests a potential role for optic nerve head analysis in monitoring the progression of Alzheimer's disease and in assessing the effectiveness of any treatments developed. References 1. Terry RD, Wisniewski HM. Ultrastructure of senile dementia and of experimental analogs . In: Gaitz C, ed. Aging and the Brain . New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1972:89-116. 2. Katzman R. The prevalence and malignancy of Alzheimer's disease: a major killer . Arch Neurol . 1976;33:217-218. Editorial. 3. Cogan DG. Visual disturbances with focal progressive dementing disease . Am J Ophthalmol . 1985;100:68-72. 4. Khachaturian ZS. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease . Arch Neurol . 1985;42:1097-1105. 5. Kemper T. Neuroanatomical and neuropathological changes in normal aging and in dementia . In: Albert ML, ed. Clinical Neurology of Aging . London, England: Oxford University Press; 1984:9-52. 6. Bareley LL, Zemcov A, Blass JP, Sansone J. Survival in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementias . Neurology . 1985;35:834-840. 7. Lewis DA, Campbell MJ, Terry RD. Laminar and regional distribution of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease: a quantitative study of visual and auditory cortices . J Neurosci . 1987;7:1799-1808. 8. Johnson BM, Bassi CJ, Sadun AA. Patterns of degeneration in Alzheimer's disease: striate and extrastriate visual cortex . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1987;28( (suppl) ):32. Abstract. 9. Hinton DR, Sadun AA, Blanks JC, Miller C. Optic nerve degeneration in Alzheimer's disease . N Engl J Med . 1986;315:485-487. 10. Sadun AA, Borchert M, Devita E, Hinton DR, Bassi CJ. Assessment of visual impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease . Am J Ophthalmol . 1987;104:113-120. 11. Quigley HA, Miller NR, George T. Clinical evaluation of nerve fiber atrophy as an indicator of glaucomatous optic nerve damage . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1564-1571. 12. Airaksinen PJ, Drance SM. Neuroretinal rim area and retinal nerve fiber in glaucoma . Arch Ophthalmol . 1985;103:203-204. 13. Nagin PA, Schwartz B, Nanba K. The reproducibility of computerized boundary analysis for measuring optic disc pallor in the normal optic disc . Ophthalmology . 1985;92:242-250. 14. Caprioli J, Klingbeil U, Sears M, Pope B. Reproducibility of optic disc measurements with computerized analysis of stereoscopic video images . Arch Ophthalmol . 1986;104:1035-1039. 15. Quigley HA, Sanchez RM, Dunkelberger GR, L'Hernault NL, Baginski TA. Chronic glaucoma selectively damages large optic nerve fibers . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1987;28:913-920. 16. Rosen WG, Mohs RC, Davis KL. A new scale for Alzheimer's disease . Am J Psychiatry . 1984;141:1356-1364. 17. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folesstein M, Katzman R, Prince D, Stadlan EM. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA work group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services task forces on Alzheimer's disease . Neurology . 1984;34:939-944. 18. Sommer A, D'Anna SA, Kues HA, George T. High-resolution photography of the retinal nerve fiber layer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1983;96:535-539. 19. Nagin P, Schwartz B. Approaches to image analysis of the optic disc . In: IEEE Computer Society: Fifth International Conference on Pattern Recognition . New York, NY: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; 1980:948-956. 20. StatView 512+ Manual . Calabasas, Calif: BrainPower Inc; 1986:69-151. 21. Cornsweet TN, Hersh S, Humphries JC, Beesmer RJ, Cornsweet DW. Quantification of the shape and color of the optic nerve head . In: Brenin GM, Siegel IM, eds. Advances in Diagnostic Visual Optics . New York, NY: Springer-Verlag NY Inc; 1983:141-149. 22. Mikelberg FS, Douglas GR, Schultzer M. Cornsweet TN, Wijsman K. Reliability of the disk topographic measurements recorded with a videoophthalmolgraph . Am J Ophthalmol . 1984;98:98-102. 23. Mikelberg FS, Douglas GR. Schultzer M, Airaksinen PJ, Wijsman K, Mawson D. The correlation between cup-disc ratio, neuroretinal rim area, and the optic disc area measured by the videoophthalmograph (Rodenstock Analyzer) and clinical measurement . Am J Ophthalmol . 1986;101:7-12. 24. Shields MB, Martone J, Shelton A, Ollie A. MacMillan J. Reproducibility of topographic measurements with the optic nerve head analyzer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1987;104:581-586. 25. Shields MB, Tiedman JS, Miller KN, Hickingbotham D, Ollie A. Accuracy of topographic measurements with the Optic Nerve Head Analyzer . Am J Ophthalmol . 1989;107:273-279. 26. Yamauchi K, Matsubara K, Funahashi M, Kitazawa Y. The accuracy of optic disc measurement with Optic Nerve Head Analyzer in vivo and in vitro study . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1989;30( (suppl) ):430. Abstract. 27. Fleiss JL. The Design and Analysis of Clinical Experiments . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1986:1-32. 28. Liu K. Measurement error and its impact on partial correlation and multiple linear regression analysis . Am J Epidemiol . 1988;127:864-874. 29. Cogan DG. Neurology of the Visual System . Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas Publisher; 1966:133-149. 30. Sadun AA, Miao M, Johnson BM. Morphometric analysis of optic nerve axons in patients with Alzheimer's disease . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1986;27( (suppl) ):198. Abstract. 31. Bassi CJ, Blanks JC, Hinton DR. Sadun AA, Miller CA. Retinal ganglion cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease . Soc Neurosci . 1987;13:1328. Abstract. 32. Blanks RHI, Blanks JC. Retina defect in Alzheimer's patients . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1988;29( (suppl) ):35. Abstract. 33. Sadun AA, Johnson B, Miao M. Axon caliber populations in the human optic nerve: change with age and disease . In: Proceedings of the Sixth Meeting of the International Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, Hakone Japan, 1986 . Amsterdam, Holland: Aeolus Press; 1987:5-20. 34. Balazsi AG, Rootman J, Drance SM, Schulzer M, Douglas GR. The effect of age on the nerve fiber population of the human optic nerve . Am J Ophthalmol . 1984;97:760-766. 35. Hedges TR III. Barbas NR. Clinical evaluation of the retinal nerve fiber layer in Alzheimer's disease . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1990;31( (suppl) ):356. 36. Fishbein SL, Schwartz B. Optic disc in glaucoma: topography and extent of fluorescein filling defects . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1975-1979.Crossref 37. Loebl M, Schwartz B. Fluorescein angiographic defects of the optic disc in ocular hypertension . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1980-1984.Crossref 38. Schwartz B, Rieser JC, Fishbein SL. Fluorescein angiographic defects of the optic disc in glaucoma . Arch Ophthalmol . 1977;95:1961-1974.Crossref 39. Sebag J, Delori FC, Feke GT, et al. Anterior optic nerve blood flow decreases in clinical neurogenic optic atrophy . Ophthalmology . 1986;93:858-865.Crossref 40. Frisen L, Claesson M. Narrowing of the retinal arterioles in descending optic atrophy: a quantitative clinical study . Ophthalmology . 1984;91:1342-1346.Crossref 41. Radius R, Maumenee AE. Optic atrophy and glaucomatous cupping . Am J Ophthalmol . 1978;85:145-153. 42. Trobe JD, Glaser JS, Cassady J, Herschler J, Anderson DR. Nonglaucomatous excavation of the optic disc . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1046-1050.Crossref 43. Trobe JD, Glaser JS, Cassady JC. Optic atrophy, differential diagnosis by fundus observation alone . Arch Ophthalmol . 1980;98:1040-1045.Crossref 44. Caprioli J, Miller J. Optic disc rim area is related to disc size in normal subjects . Arch Ophthalmol . 1987;105:1683-1685.Crossref 45. Trick GL, Barris MC, Bickler-Bluth M. Abnormal pattern electroretinograms in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type . Ann Neurol . 1989;26:226-231.Crossref 46. Sadun AA, Bassi CJ. Optic nerve damage in Alzheimer's disease . Ophthalmology . 1990;97:9-17.Crossref 47. Ho JN, Sadun AA, Dato-On S, Heller KB. Clinical-pathological correlations in Alzheimer's disease optic neuropathy . Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci . 1989;30( (suppl) ):233. Abstract. 48. Kiyosawa M, Bosley TM, Chawluk J, et al. Alzheimer's disease with prominent visual symptoms: clinical and metabolic evaluation . Ophthalmology . 1989;96:1077-1086.Crossref

Journal

Archives of OphthalmologyAmerican Medical Association

Published: Feb 1, 1991

There are no references for this article.