Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33276820›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's research & therapy2020

Retinal microvasculature dysfunction is associated with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

Jacqueline Chua, Qinglan Hu, Mengyuan Ke, Bingyao Tan, Jimmy Hong, Xinwen Yao, Saima Hilal, Narayanaswamy Venketasubramanian, Gerhard Garhöfer, Carol Y Cheung and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

71 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.

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  18. Ocular changes as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
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11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

13 authors at 6 institutions in 6 countries.

Jacqueline ChuaSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Qinglan HuSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Mengyuan KeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Bingyao TanSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Jimmy HongSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Xinwen YaoSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Saima HilalMemory Aging and Cognition Centre, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Sha Tin, Singapore.
Narayanaswamy VenketasubramanianMemory Aging and Cognition Centre, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Sha Tin, Singapore.
Gerhard GarhöferDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Carol Y CheungDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Tien Yin WongSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
Christopher Li-Hsian ChenMemory Aging and Cognition Centre, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Sha Tin, Singapore.
Leopold SchmettererSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore. leopold.schmetterer@seri.com.sg.ORCID 0000-0002-7189-1707
National University of Singapore · SGSingapore Eye Research Institute · SGNanyang Technological University · SGChinese University of Hong Kong · HKMedical University of Vienna · ATSingapore National Eye Center · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe retina and brain share many neuronal and vasculature characteristics. We investigated the retinal microvasculature in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 24 AD participants, 37 MCI participants, and 29 controls were diagnosed according to internationally accepted criteria. OCTA images of the superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP, DCP) of the retinal microvasculature were obtained using a commercial OCTA system (Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 with AngioPlex, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). The main outcome measures were vessel density (VD) and fractal dimension (FD) in the SCP and DCP within a 2.5-mm ring around the fovea which were compared between groups. Perfusion density of large vessels and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area were additional outcome parameters.

resultsAge, gender, and race did not differ among groups. However, there was a significant difference in diabetes status (P = 0.039) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.008) among the groups. After adjusting for confounders, AD participants showed significantly decreased VD in SCP and DCP (P = 0.006 and P = 0.015, respectively) and decreased FD in SCP (P = 0.006), compared to controls. MCI participants showed significantly decreased VD and FD only in SCP (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively) and not the DCP (P > 0.05) compared with controls. There was no difference in the OCTA variables between AD and MCI (P > 0.05). Perfusion density of large vessels and FAZ area did not differ significantly between groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Eyes of patients with AD have significantly reduced macular VD in both plexuses whereas MCI participants only showed reduction in the superficial plexus. Changes in the retinal microvasculature and capillary network may offer a valuable insight on the brain in AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive DysfunctionCross-Sectional StudiesFluorescein AngiographyHumansMicrovesselsRetinal VesselsTomography, Optical CoherenceAlzheimer’s diseaseMild cognitive impairmentOptical coherence tomography angiography

Identifiers

PMID33276820
PMCPMC7718666
OpenAlexW3108877345

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.