Skip to main content

Retinal Capillary Perfusion Tied to Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Black Patients

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 1, 2023.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2023 -- Lower retinal capillary perfusion is associated with cerebral small vessel disease, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Farzan Abdolahi, M.D., from University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues investigated whether retinal capillary perfusion, measured using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), is a biomarker of cerebral small vessel disease and impaired cognition among Black Americans. Analysis included 96 Black Americans without known cognitive impairment.

The researchers found that lower retinal capillary perfusion was correlated with worse Oral Symbol Digit Test and Fluid Cognition Composite scores, but not with the Crystallized Cognition Composite score. There was also a correlation seen between lower retinal perfusion and higher free water and peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity, and lower fractional anisotropy on magnetic resonance imaging.

“As a noninvasive, rapid, easy-to-administer, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved imaging modality, OCTA may be particularly useful for screening underdiagnosed, underserved, high-risk populations such as Black Americans," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to Carl Zeiss Meditec, which developed the OCTA used in the study.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam Improves Detection of Cognitive Issues in Primary Care

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- A self-administered gerocognitive examination (SAGE) is easily incorporated into primary care provider (PCP) visits, and its use significantly increases...

Emergence of Psychosis in Alzheimer Disease Linked to Elevations in p-tau181

MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD), the emergence of psychosis is associated with elevations in levels of plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine...

Cognitive Impairment Delayed With Genetic Variant

THURSDAY, June 20, 2024 -- Cognitive impairment is delayed among persons who are heterozygous for the apolipoprotein E3 Christchurch variant (APOE3Ch), according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.