Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42012471›Full record

ArticleCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2026

Retinal Microvascular Dysfunction Reflects Vascular and Alzheimer's-Related Pathology in Dementia With Lewy Bodies.

Qiuling Tong, William Robert Kwapong, Xiaoqian Luan, Suqing Hu, Yihan Hu, Yimo Guo, Chenli Ji, Ming Yang, Zhen Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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.

Qiuling TongNeurology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.
William Robert KwapongNeurology Department, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9633-4694
Xiaoqian LuanGeriatrics Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.
Suqing HuGeriatrics Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.
Yihan HuWenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.
Yimo GuoWenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.
Chenli JiIntegrated Traditional Chinese and Western Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Ming YangNeurology Department, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China.
Zhen WangGeriatrics Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Ouhai, China.

Funding

Headache Specialty Care Program at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) frequently coexists with cerebrovascular injury and Alzheimer's-related pathology, yet accessible in vivo markers of these processes remain limited. The retinal microvasculature shares structural and physiological characteristics with cerebral small vessels and may provide a non-invasive window into neurovascular and neurodegenerative pathology.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 32 individuals with DLB and 31 age-matched cognitively unimpaired controls (CU) underwent swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), brain MRI, and plasma biomarker assessment. Retinal vessel densities of the superficial vascular complex (SVC), deep vascular complex (DVC), and choriocapillaris (CC) were quantified. Plasma amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau-217 (p-tau217), and glial fibrillary acidic protein were measured. Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) burden and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes were derived from MRI. Associations with cognition and mediation by WMH burden were evaluated using generalized estimating equations and bootstrapped mediation analyses.

resultsCompared with CU, individuals with DLB exhibited significantly reduced SVC, DVC, and CC vessel densities (all p < 0.001). Lower retinal vessel densities were associated with higher plasma amyloid burden and elevated p-tau217, as well as greater SVD burden and periventricular WMH volume. APOE ε4 carriers demonstrated more pronounced retinal microvascular impairment, higher WMH burden, and elevated p-tau217 levels than non-carriers. Reduced SVC density was associated with worse global cognition, and this relationship was partially mediated by periventricular WMH volume.

conclusionsRetinal microvascular impairment measured by OCTA is closely linked to Alzheimer's-related plasma biomarkers, SVD, and cognitive decline in DLB. These findings support retinal OCTA as a scalable, non-invasive biomarker reflecting convergent neurodegenerative and vascular pathology in DLB.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseLewy Body DiseaseMicrovesselsRetinal VesselsAgedAged, 80 and overAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkersCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaletau ProteinsTomography, Optical CoherenceAmyloid beta-PeptidesBiomarkerstau Proteinsamyloid‐βAPOE ε4cerebral small vessel diseasedementia with lewy bodiesoptical coherence tomography angiographyphosphorylated tauplasma biomarkersretinal microvasculature

Identifiers

PMID42012471
PMCPMC13098535

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.