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  • Retinal microvascular network geometry and cognitive abilities in community-dwelling older people: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study

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Clinical science
Retinal microvascular network geometry and cognitive abilities in community-dwelling older people: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study
  1. Sarah McGrory1,
  2. Adele M Taylor2,
  3. Mirna Kirin3,
  4. Janie Corley2,
  5. Alison Pattie2,
  6. Simon R Cox2,4,5,
  7. Baljean Dhillon1,
  8. Joanna M Wardlaw1,4,5,
  9. Fergus N Doubal1,
  10. John M Starr4,6,
  11. Emanuele Trucco7,
  12. Thomas J MacGillivray1,8,
  13. Ian J Deary2,4
  1. 1Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  2. 2Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  3. 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia
  4. 4Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  5. 5Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
  6. 6Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  7. 7VAMPIRE project, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
  8. 8Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  1. Correspondence to Professor Ian J Deary, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; I.Deary{at}ed.ac.uk

Abstract

Aim To examine the relationship between retinal vascular morphology and cognitive abilities in a narrow-age cohort of community-dwelling older people.

Methods Digital retinal images taken at age ∼73 years from 683 participants of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) were analysed with Singapore I Vessel Assessment (SIVA) software. Multiple regression models were applied to determine cross-sectional associations between retinal vascular parameters and general cognitive ability (g), memory, processing speed, visuospatial ability, crystallised cognitive ability and change in IQ from childhood to older age.

Results After adjustment for cognitive ability at age 11 years and cardiovascular risk factors, venular length-to-diameter ratio was nominally significantly associated with processing speed (β=−0.116, p=0.01) and g (β=−0.079, p=0.04). Arteriolar length-to-diameter ratio was associated with visuospatial ability (β=0.092, p=0.04). Decreased arteriolar junctional exponent deviation and increased arteriolar branching coefficient values were associated with less relative decline in IQ between childhood and older age (arteriolar junctional exponent deviation: β=−0.101, p=0.02; arteriolar branching coefficient: β=0.089, p=0.04). Data are presented as standardised β coefficients (β) reflecting change in cognitive domain score associated with an increase of 1 SD unit in retinal parameter. None of these nominally significant associations remained significant after correction for multiple statistical testing.

Conclusions Retinal parameters contributed <1% of the variance in the majority of associations observed. Whereas retinal analysis may have potential for early detection of some types of age-related cognitive decline and dementia, our results present little evidence that retinal vascular features are associated with non-pathological cognitive ageing.

  • Retina
  • Imaging

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2016-309017

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors The author contributions are as follows for each of the categories listed. Study conception and design, acquisition/analysis/interpretation of data: SM, AMT, MK, TJM, IJD. Drafting the article or revising it critically: SM, AMT, MK, JC, AP, SRC, BD, JMW, FND, JMS, ET, TJM, IJD. Final approval of the version to be submitted: SM, AMT, MK, JC, AP, SRC, BD, JMW, FND, JMS, ET, TJM, IJD.

    • Funding LBC1936 data were collected using a Research Into Ageing programme grant, and this research continues to be supported by the Age UK-funded Disconnected Mind project. The work was undertaken in the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, part of the cross council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Initiative (MR/K026992/1). UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant number EP/M005976/1), the Wellcome Trust (grant number 075611) and Medical Research Council.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Ethics approval Multicentre Research Ethics Committee for Scotland; the Lothian Research Ethics Committee for Scotland; Scotland A Research Ethics Committee.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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