Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26582428›Full record

ArticleJournal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)2016

Retinal involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a study with optical coherence tomography and diffusion tensor imaging.

Annemarie Hübers, Hans Peter Müller, Jens Dreyhaupt, Kathrin Böhm, Florian Lauda, Hayrettin Tumani, Jan Kassubek, Albert C Ludolph, Elmar H Pinkhardt

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
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  5. Article
  6. [Neurodegeneration and retinal changes-A literature overview].Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2025
    Review
  7. Review
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  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Sensory Involvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022
    Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Artificial intelligence extension of the OSCAR-IB criteria.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2021
    Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Annemarie HübersDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Hans Peter MüllerDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Jens DreyhauptInstitute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Schwabstraße 13, 89075, Ulm, Germany.
Kathrin BöhmDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Florian LaudaDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Hayrettin TumaniDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Jan KassubekDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Albert C LudolphDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Elmar H PinkhardtDepartment of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany. elmar.pinkhardt@uni-ulm.de.
Universität Ulm · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although motor neuron degeneration is the predominant feature in ALS, recent data point to a more widespread pathology also comprising non-motor symptoms. Retinal thinning has been reported in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions. Yet, studies of retinal involvement in ALS are sparse and results are heterogeneous. We studied retinal alterations in ALS using a systematic approach combining Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and clinical phenotyping. We hypothesized that selective changes of specific retinal layers may be a reflection of overall neurodegeneration as measured by DTI. Spectral domain OCT images were analyzed to calculate the average thickness of retinal layers in 71 ALS patients and 20 controls. In 30 patients, the region of interest (ROI) based fractional anisotrophy (FA) was measured in the corticospinal tract (CST), as this region is preferentially affected by motor neuron degeneration. Clinical data were collected for correlation analysis. Patients showed a significant thinning of the inner nuclear layer (INL; p = 0.04) and the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL; p = 0.004) compared to controls. We saw significant correlations between retinal thickness and FA values of the CST in patients (p = 0.005). No significant correlation between clinical parameters and retinal involvement was observed. Our study provides evidence for a retinal involvement in ALS. Interestingly, ALS patients show a reduction in FA of the CST, which is correlated to retinal thinning. We conclude that retinal involvement is in fact associated to overall neurodegeneration and may be regarded as a potential technical biomarker in ALS.

Indexed as

Diffusion Tensor ImagingTomography, Optical CoherenceAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAmyotrophic Lateral SclerosisFemaleHumansImage Interpretation, Computer-AssistedMaleMiddle AgedRetinaAmyotrophic lateral sclerosisNeurodegenerationOptical coherence tomographyRetinaTechnical biomarker

Identifiers

PMID26582428
OpenAlexW2172512266

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.