Structural and Functional Retinal and Optic Nerve Changes in Parkinson’s Disease: An OCT-Based Study | ||
| Suez Canal University Medical Journal | ||
| Volume 28, Issue 11, November 2025, Pages 33-43 PDF (388.59 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/scumj.2025.432712.1737 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ehab M. Moawad* 1; Mohamed E. Abd-ElHady2; Basem H. Fouda3; Alshimaa S. Asran2; Ehab A. Hashish2 | ||
| 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 3Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration involving not only motor circuits but also visual pathways, including retinal and optic nerve structures. Vision is one of the non-motor systems altered in PD, and patients often experience decreased visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color vision. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive method for evaluating these structures and may disclose early changes. Aim: This study used OCT and visual function tests to analyze retinal and optic nerve changes in Parkinson's patients compared with controls. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study included 16 Parkinson's patients (32 eyes) and 16 age- and sex-matched controls (32 eyes). OCT assessed the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), macular RNFL (mRNFL), ganglion cell layer plus inner plexiform layer (GCL+), ganglion cell complex (GCL++), and optic disc characteristics. Functional tests included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, and color vision. Results: Compared with controls, Parkinson’s patients showed significant thinning of the mRNFL (p = 0.012) and GCL++ (p = 0.029), along with optic disc alterations including a larger cup-to-disc ratio (p < 0.001). Inferior quadrant RNFL thinning was also observed in the PD group (p < 0.001). Patients demonstrated reduced BCVA (p < 0.001), lower contrast sensitivity (p < 0.01), and impaired color vision (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Parkinson’s disease is associated with inner-retinal thinning and visual dysfunction. OCT combined with visual testing may provide non-invasive markers of PD-related neurodegeneration. These findings highlight the potential of OCT as an adjunctive biomarker, although larger studies are needed for validation. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Optical coherence tomography; retinal nerve fiber layer; ganglion cell complex; visual function; optic nerve atrophy | ||
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