Abstract
Objective. To evaluate a new method of measuring hemoglobin (Hb) levels and quantifying the color changes in the optic nerve head of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We also compared differences in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses obtained using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) device between PD group and healthy group. Methods. One hundred and fifty-five PD patients and 91 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects were included in this cross-sectional study. OCT examinations and one photograph of the optic disc were performed. The Laguna ONhE (“optic nerve hemoglobin”; Insoft SL, Tenerife, Spain) software was used to analyze the Hb level on the acquired optic disc photographs. Results. PD patients exhibited significantly reduced mean optic disc Hb percentages (57.56% in PD, 67.63% in healthy subjects; P = 0.001) as well as reduced Hb in almost all analyzed sectors, with the largest differences detected in the inferior and nasal sectors. RNFL parameters were significantly reduced in PD patients compared with healthy subjects, especially in the inferior quadrant. Conclusions. Measurements of optic disc Hb levels obtained with the Laguna ONhE software had good ability to detect optic nerve color changes (more papillary paleness and consequently this could suggest optic atrophy and axonal loss) in PD patients.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative process that leads to a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons, mainly in the basal ganglia of the brain [1]
We found no association, long-term studies are needed to obtain statistically reliable results
Our research group has already demonstrated the utility of this program in a recent study performed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, in which we found that the hemoglobin levels (Hb) amount in each of the 24 sectors of the papilla was higher in healthy subjects than in MS patients, we did not analyze the correlations between devices [14]
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative process that leads to a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons, mainly in the basal ganglia of the brain [1]. Neurons and neural circuits outside the basal ganglia can be affected simultaneously or even before there are noticeable changes in the substantia nigra [2]. Retinal ganglion cell loss can be detected using ocular imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) [4], which provide noninvasive, rapid, objective, and reproducible measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). Axonal loss in the optic nerve is observed as a progressive pallor by fundus examination with an ophthalmoscope. The human eye, cannot quantify the axonal loss or detect early axonal loss (papillary atrophy can only be observed when more than 50% of nerve fibers have been lost) [12]. The Laguna ONhE (optic nerve head hemoglobin) program is a new method designed by a group of ophthalmologists and engineers that allows for the measurement of hemoglobin levels (Hb) at the optic nerve head using
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