@article{7d44045251744d5f86cec1e126da558a,
title = "Retinal microvasculature and cerebral small vessel disease in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 and Mild Stroke Study",
abstract = "Research has suggested that the retinal vasculature may act as a surrogate marker for diseased cerebral vessels. Retinal vascular parameters were measured using Vessel Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina (VAMPIRE) software in two cohorts: (i) community-dwelling older subjects of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 603); and (ii) patients with recent minor ischaemic stroke of the Mild Stroke Study (n = 155). Imaging markers of small vessel disease (SVD) (white matter hyperintensities [WMH] on structural MRI, visual scores and volume; perivascular spaces; lacunes and microbleeds), and vascular risk measures were assessed in both cohorts. We assessed associations between retinal and brain measurements using structural equation modelling and regression analysis. In the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 arteriolar fractal dimension accounted for 4% of the variance in WMH load. In the Mild Stroke Study lower arteriolar fractal dimension was associated with deep WMH scores (odds ratio [OR] 0.53; 95% CI, 0.32-0.87). No other retinal measure was associated with SVD. Reduced fractal dimension, a measure of vascular complexity, is related to SVD imaging features in older people. The results provide some support for the use of the retinal vasculature in the study of brain microvascular disease.",
keywords = "VASCULAR RISK-FACTORS, NETWORK ALTERATIONS, COGNITIVE-ABILITY, IMAGE-ANALYSIS, BRAIN, ABNORMALITIES, MRI, ASSOCIATIONS, RATIONALE, DEMENTIA",
author = "Sarah McGrory and Lucia Ballerini and Doubal, {Fergus N.} and Julie Staals and Mike Allerhand and Valdes-Hernandez, {Maria del C.} and Xin Wang and Tom MacGillivray and Doney, {Alex S. F.} and Baljean Dhillon and Starr, {John M.} and Bastin, {Mark E.} and Emanuele Trucco and Deary, {Ian J.} and Wardlaw, {Joanna M.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors thank the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 members and participants of the Mild Stroke Study who took part in this study; the radiographers at the Brain Research Imaging Centre; the nurses of the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility and the members of the LBC1936 research team who collected and collated the LBC1936 data we analysed. The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 is supported by Age UK (Disconnected Mind project) and the Medical Research Council (MR/M01311/1). Support from NHS Lothian R&D, and Edinburgh Imaging and Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility at the University of Edinburgh is gratefully acknowledged. Retinal photographs were taken in the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. We thank Stuart J. Ritchie for statistical advice and guidance. The work was undertaken in The University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, which is supported by funding from BBSRC and the Medical Research Council (MRC) as part of the cross council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Initiative (MR/K026992/1). The work was partially supported by EPSRC project EP/M005976/1 “Multimodal retinal biomarkers for vascular dementia”. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, The Author(s).",
year = "2019",
month = apr,
day = "19",
doi = "10.1038/s41598-019-42534-x",
language = "English",
volume = "9",
journal = "Scientific Reports",
issn = "2045-2322",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
}