Abstract
Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive tool for imaging and quantifying the retinal and choroidal perfusion state in vivo. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of isometric and dynamic exercise on retinal and choroidal sublayer perfusion using OCTA. A pilot study was conducted on young, healthy participants, each of whom performed a specific isometric exercise on the first day and a dynamic exercise the day after. At baseline and immediately after the exercise, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), superficial capillary plexus perfusion (SCPP), deep capillary plexus perfusion (DCPP), choriocapillaris perfusion (CCP), Sattlers’s layer perfusion (SLP), and Haller’s layer perfusion (HLP) were recorded. A total of 34 eyes of 34 subjects with a mean age of 32.35 ± 7.87 years were included. HR as well as MAP increased significantly after both types of exercise. Both SCPP and DCPP did not show any significant alteration due to isometric or dynamic exercise. After performing dynamic exercise, CCP, SLP, as well as HLP significantly increased. Changes in MAP correlated significantly with changes in HLP after the dynamic activity. OCTA-based analysis in healthy adults following physical activity demonstrated a constant retinal perfusion, supporting the theory of autoregulatory mechanisms. Dynamic exercise, as opposed to isometric activity, significantly changed choroidal perfusion. OCTA imaging may represent a novel and sensitive tool to expand the diagnostic spectrum in the field of sports medicine.
Highlights
F, female; M, male; BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity; SD, standard deviation; values are given as mean ± SD
We were able to confirm this theory by demonstrating a significant increase of perfusion in all choroidal sublayers after performing dynamic exercise with a significant increase of Mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 106.2 to 127.6 mmHg (p < 0.001)
Strong significant perfusion changes were found. This pilot study demonstrated a significant increase of perfusion in all choroidal sublayers after performing a dynamic exercise, while retinal perfusion stayed steady
Summary
During the last few years, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has contributed significantly to the diagnostic scope within ophthalmology by visualizing the retinal and choroidal vascular network in a non-invasive fashion [1,2,3,4]. Due to the potential of visualizing microcapillaries in vivo, OCTA has impact on other medical disciplines, since many systemic disorders lead to early vascular involvement of the ocular vessels of the posterior pole [6,7,8,9]. The effect of changes in the systemic circulation on retinal and choroidal perfusion metrics represents a field of increasing interest for OCTA research. It has been demonstrated that acute Valsalva maneuvers as well as long-lasting arterial hypertension significantly influence the retinal perfusion examined by OCTA [10,11]
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