Logo

American Heart Association

  1
  0


Final ID: WP61

Automated Retinal Vascular Fractal Analysis Can Screen Presymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract Body: Background: Retinal vasculopathy had been reported across the continuum of neurodegeneration. Retinal color fundus photography coupled with automated retinal vascular analysis offers potential to non-invazively screen for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neurodegeneration. Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and apolipoprotein 4 (APOE4) carrier status are known biomarkers of AD risk. Herein, we examined the relationship between retinal vascular fractal dimensions in non-mydriatic color fundus photographs, amyloid-PET burden and APOE4 carrier status in a cohort of cognitively intact individuals. Methods: Our dataset included 91 macula-centered and 39 optic disc-centered images from 96 cognitively intact participants (29% male). 25 (26%) were amyloid-PET positive, defined as amyloid-PET standardized uptake value ratio centiloid cut-off > 20. AutoMorph software automatically determined retinal arteriolar and venular density, tortuosity and width, among other fractal dimensions. To test the effect of amyloid-PET status on the retinal vascular parameters, we used a generalized linear model compensated for age, sex and the interaction between APOE4 carrier and amyloid-PET status. We also compared amyloid-PET positive and negative subjects for vascular fractal dimensions correcting for age and gender. We adjusted for multiple comparisons using the False Discovery Rate correction and reported significant P values less than 0.05. Results: Compared to amyloid-PET negative, cognitively intact amyloid-PET positive cohort had greater mean age (71 vs 66 years, P=0.06), more males (60% vs 35%, P=0.02), more APOE4 carriers (P<0.001), similar vascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, P>0.05 for all) and significantly lower macular vessel tortuosity density (P=0.019). The amyloid-PET positive status had a significant effect on the retinal artery distance tortuosity (corrected P=8.75E-04, β=13.9, 95% CI [7.75-19.99]) and artery squared curvature tortuosity (corrected P=8.91E-10, β=464, 95% CI [359.10-569.15]). Conclusions: Automatically determined retinal vascular fractal dimension on non-mydriatic color fundus photographs predicts amyloid-PET burden in cognitively intact individuals. Future longitudinal studies should asssess the utility of automated quantitative retinal vasculopathy analysis to screen for presymptomatic AD.
  • Nikolova, Jennifer  ( Mayo Clinic , Scottsdale , Arizona , United States )
  • Woodruff, Bryan  ( Mayo Clinic , Scottsdale , Arizona , United States )
  • Dumitrascu, Oana  ( Mayo Clinic , Scottsdale , Arizona , United States )
  • Author Disclosures:
    Jennifer Nikolova: DO NOT have relevant financial relationships | Bryan Woodruff: No Answer | Oana Dumitrascu: DO NOT have relevant financial relationships
Meeting Info:
Session Info:

Brain Health Posters I

Wednesday, 02/05/2025 , 07:00PM - 07:30PM

Poster Abstract Session

More abstracts on this topic:
Association of Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment with Impaired Glymphatic Function and Neurotoxin Waste Removal in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Nariman Nina, Boren Seth, Hasan Khader, Suchting Robert, De Dios Constanza, Sitton Clark, Aronowski Jaroslaw, Savitz Sean, Haque Muhammad

3D Statistical Shape Analysis Predicts Type A Aortic Dissection Better Than Aortic Diameters

Marway Prabhvir, Campello Jorge Carlos Alberto, Wagner Catherine, Baker Timothy, Burris Nicholas

More abstracts from these authors:
The Brain in Vasculitis

Dumitrascu Oana, Harris Jennifer, Shafi Neelofer

Prevalence of stroke in individuals with Migraine: A risk analysis accounting for comorbidities using participant information from the All of Us database

Seah Nick, Dumitrascu Oana, Schwedt Todd, Wu Teresa, Chong Catherine

You have to be authorized to contact abstract author. Please, Login
Not Available

Readers' Comments

We encourage you to enter the discussion by posting your comments and questions below.

Presenters will be notified of your post so that they can respond as appropriate.

This discussion platform is provided to foster engagement, and simulate conversation and knowledge sharing.

 

You have to be authorized to post a comment. Please, Login or Signup.


   Rate this abstract  (Maximum characters: 500)