Retinal layer abnormalities and their association with clinical and brain measures in psychotic disorders: A preliminary study. (30th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bannai, Deepthi; Lizano, Paulo; Kasetty, Megan; Lutz, Olivia; Zeng, Victor; Sarvode, Suraj; Kim, Leo A.; Hill, Scot; Tamminga, Carol; Clementz, Brett; Gershon, Elliot; Pearlson, Godfrey; Miller, John B.; Keshavan, Matcheri
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 299(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-05-30
• Subjects: Schizophrenia -- Bipolar disorder -- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) -- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- Cognition; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; Cerveau -- Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; 616.890754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-4927

Abstract

Highlights: OCT retinal imaging provides insights into neurobiological mechanisms of psychosis. Psychosis patients and healthy controls had retinal OCT and structural MRI imaging. Loss in outer nuclear layer and increase in outer plexiform layer seen in psychosis. Atrophy in outer nuclear layer correlated to reduced cortical volumes. Thinning of outer nuclear layer correlated to worse cognition. Abstract: Studies utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT) in psychosis have identified abnormalities in retinal cytoarchitecture. We aim to analyze retinal layer topography in psychosis and its correlation with clinical and imaging parameters. Macular retinal images were obtained via OCT in psychosis probands ( n = 25) and healthy controls (HC, n = 15). Clinical, cognitive and structural MRI data were collected from participants. No thinning was noted for the retinal nerve fiber, ganglion cell or inner plexiform layers. We found significant thinning in the right inner temporal, right central, and left inner superior quadrants of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) in probands compared to HC. Thickening of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) was observed in the right inner temporal, left inner superior, and left inner temporal quadrants. The right inner temporal and left inner superior quadrants of both the OPL and ONL showed significant inverse correlations. Retinal pigment epithelium thinning correlated with worse mania symptoms, and thinning in the ONL was associated with worse cognitive function. ONL thinning was also associated with smaller total brain and white matter volume. Our findings suggest that outer retinal layers may provide additional insights into the pathophysiology of psychosis, possibly reflecting synaptic or inflammatory aberrations that lead to retinal pathologies.