ABSTRACT
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been recently used to investigate neuropsychiatric disorders. We aimed to study retinal OCT measures of patients with schizophrenia with respect to healthy controls, and to evaluate possible differences between recent illness episode (RIE) and non-recent illness episode (NRIE) patients. Thirty schizophrenia patients were classified as RIE (n=10) or NRIE (n=20), and compared with 30 matched controls. Statistical analyses included linear mixed-effects models to study the association between OCT measures and group membership. Multivariate models were used to control for potential confounders. In the adjusted linear mixed-effects regression model, patients had a significantly thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in overall measurements, and in the nasal, superior and inferior quadrants. Macular inner ring thickness and macular volume were also significantly smaller in patients than controls. Compared with controls, in the adjusted model only NRIE (but not RIE) patients had significantly reduced RNFL overall measures, superior RNFL, nasal RNFL, macular volume, and macular inner ring thickness. No significant correlation was found between illness duration and retinal measurements after controlling for age. In conclusion, retinal parameters observed using OCT in schizophrenia patients could be related to clinical status and merit attention as potential state biomarkers of the disorder.
Subject(s)
Macula Lutea/pathology , Nerve Fibers/pathology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Schizophrenia/pathology , Adult , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Episode of Care , Female , Humans , Linear Models , Macula Lutea/drug effects , Male , Middle Aged , Nerve Fibers/drug effects , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Reference Values , Retina/drug effects , Retina/pathology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/drug effects , Tomography, Optical CoherenceABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Our study aims to assess retinal nerve fiberlayer (RNFL) thickness in patients affected by schizophrenia. Methods: Ten schizophrenic (..) (AU)
