The Relationship of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness to Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers

For patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness is decreased compared to age-matched controls and this is consistent with histopathological data revealing degeneration of retinal ganglion cell axons, retinal ganglion cells, and the optic nerve.(1,2) The mechanism, visual impact, and the stage of onset of this degeneration is unknown. We seek to investigate the relationship between RNFL thickness and threshold visual field perimetry, cortical volumes, cerebral amyloid, and cognition for people within the aging and AD spectrums.