Category: Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Trials
Objective: To analyze the characteristics of retinal structural changes in patients with PD by the noninvasive technology of OCT. Demonstrate the role of α-syn in pathological changes of retina and provide evidence for the pathogenesis of visual dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease.
Background: Changes in the quality of retinal morphology and pathology occurs during the course of PD, which can involve the visual pathway causing visual dysfunction. Misfolding and abnormal aggregation of a-syn in the retina may be the pathological basis of retinal morphological changes.
Method: 126 eyes of 63 age-/sex- balanced patients were included, of these 62 eyes of 31 PD patients and 64 eyes of 32 healthy controls. Collected morphological parameters by OCT, and the functional parameters with Projection Perimeter. Correlation analysis were performed for evaluation of association between morphological parameters and PD severity using H&Y stage. In addition, rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease model rats were successfully established. The pathological changes were observed by HE staining and the expression and distribution of α-syn were detected by immunofluorescence in the retina of animal models.
Results: PD patients presented a thinner macular retinal thickness, a smaller macular volume, a higher mean deviation, and a smaller visual field index, but there was no significant difference in the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. And these macular retinal parameters are showed a negative correlation with the Hoehn and Yahr stage. Moreover, abnormal deposition of a-synuclein was found in the inner plexiform layer(IPL), inner nuclear layer(INL) and ganglion cell layer(GCL) of the retina of rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease model rats by immunofluorescence detection.
Conclusion: Retinal thinning is presented in Parkinson’s disease, correlates with disease severity, and linked to accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein in retinal neurodegeneration. Retinal imaging detected by the noninvasive technology of OCT of pathologic changes occurring in PD, which can be a useful biomarker for evaluating the progression of PD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
L. Man, Z. Wei. Morphological changes of retina in patients with Parkinson’s disease and the role of α-synuclein in retinal damage [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2020; 35 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/morphological-changes-of-retina-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-and-the-role-of-%ce%b1-synuclein-in-retinal-damage/. Accessed November 21, 2024.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2020
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/morphological-changes-of-retina-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-and-the-role-of-%ce%b1-synuclein-in-retinal-damage/