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Bioinformatics, Computational and Systems Biology

Bioinformatics, Computational and Systems Biology - Poster Session B

Poster A10 - Exploring the Association Between Retinal Microstructure and White Matter Lesions on MRI in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults: Insights from the B-NET-EYE Study

Thursday, October 24, 2024

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM EST

Location: Exhibit Hall E, F & G

Presenting Author(s)

Alma Moreno-Dominguez (she/her/hers)

Student
Wake Forest University BME-REU internship Program/ University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, Texas, United States

Co-Author(s)

Ashley Wells (she/her/hers)

Medical Student
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston- Salem, North Carolina, United States
LK

Levi D. Kauffman, MD

Assistant Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
MG

Margaret Greven, MD

Associate Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
GT

Gillian Treadwell, MD

Assistant Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
JB

J. Brent Bond, MD

Associate Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
HC

Haiying Chen, MD, PhD

Academic Faculty
Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
Michael E. Miller

Academic Faculty
Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
CH

Christina Hugenschmidt, PhD

Associate Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
AT

Alexis D. Tanase, MS

Study Coordinator
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
PL

Paul J. Laurienti, MD, PhD

Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
JW

Jeff D. Williamson, MD, MS

Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
SK

Steve B. Kritchevsky, PhD

Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Last Author(s)

AT

Atalie C. Thompson, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Introduction: We have previously shown that patients with poor contrast sensitivity (CS) function have poor mobility function even in cognitively healthy older adults. This proposal aimed to investigate whether there is a significant correlation between white matter changes in regions of the brain important for mobility and structural changes in the central fovea, which is where cone photoreceptors are in greatest concentration. Understanding this relationship could provide insights into the structural mechanisms underlying the observed relationship between visual and physical function.

Materials and

Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of ophthalmic imaging (optical coherence tomography) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data collected in 100 cognitively healthy older adults (age ≥ 70 years) participating in the Brain Networks and Mobility Function (B-NET) - EYE study. OCT B-scans were segmented and analyzed to measure central foveal thickness. A white matter atlas (IIT Human Brain Atlas v. 4.1) was used to identify the motor region of the brain which included the paracentral, precentral, and postcentral gyri. Regression analyses using generalized estimating equations were used to examine the cross-sectional relationship between fractional anisotropy, diffusivity, and white matter lesion volume in the motor region of the brain and central foveal thickness.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: Mean participant age was 80.9 years (+/- 4.3 years); 55% were female and 9% were non-white or Hispanic. Fractional anisotropy in the motor region on structural MRI was inversely associated with central foveal thickness (Beta –558.5, p=0.039). Increased mean diffusivity (Beta 85279, p= 0.036) and radial diffusivity (Beta 92206, p= 0.023) in the motor region were significantly associated with increased central foveal thickness. However, white matter lesion volume in the motor region was not associated with central foveal thickness (p > 0.05). Since increased diffusion of water and decrease in fractional anisotropy indicate early disruption of the white matter that is typically upstream of permanent white matter damage, the association of this finding with increased central foveal thickness could indicate that the retina may serve as a biomarker for early damage in the motor region of the brain. These findings suggest that central foveal thickness may serve as a retinal biomarker for early alterations in diffusion of water molecules in the white matter of the motor region that could precede significant white matter lesions. These structural findings may explain the functional associations observed between contrast sensitivity and mobility in older adults.

Acknowledgements (Optional): This project was supported in part by the NIH/NLM (R25 LM014214) in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Artificial Intelligence Research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The BNET study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01AG052419, 3R01AG052419-02S1), Wake Forest Claude D Pepper Center (P30AG021332), and the Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Awards (UL1TR001420). Dr. Thompson was also supported by the NEI K23EY030897. The sponsor had no role in the design or execution of this study.