Original ArticleDifferential Effects of Aging in the Macular Retinal Layers, Neuroretinal Rim, and Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer
Section snippets
Participants
We included subjects who self-identified as being white in 5 centers (1 in Canada and 2 each in the United States and Germany). Subjects were recruited by advertisement in local media, on bulletin boards, and from a registry of subjects who had taken part in other studies. Approximately equal numbers of subjects were recruited in each decade group from 20 to 90 years. The Ethics Review Board of each institution approved the study, and in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, all subjects
Results
A total of 259 subjects were enrolled and underwent the study procedures. Of these, 13 (5.0%) were excluded because the OCT images did not meet the image quality criteria. The median age of the remaining 246 subjects was 52.9 years, with a range of 19.8 to 87.3 years. There were no differences among the decade groups in sex distribution, IOP, or BMO area (P > 0.24). However, there was a statistically significant difference in axial length among the age groups, ranging from a mean of 23.45 mm in
Discussion
The results of this study confirm previous histologic13, 14, 15 and OCT14,16 evidence that the central foveal RNFL GCL, IPL, INL, and OPL thicknesses are less compared with adjacent macular areas, corresponding to the displacement of these layers to form the foveal pit. In contrast, the ONL is substantially thicker, corresponding to the high density of photoreceptors in the foveal avascular zone.
The recent emphasis on macular visual field testing and imaging in glaucoma diagnostics is logical
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Supplemental material available at www.aaojournal.org.
Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have made the following disclosure(s): B.C.C., S.D., C.A.G., C.Y.M., A.F.S., C.F.B.: Support – Heidelberg Engineering.
B.C.C.: Support – Topcon, Centervue.
J.R.V.: Support – EadieTech.
Financial Support: Canadian Institutes of Health Research: MOP11357 (B.C.C.); National Eye Institute: EY021281 (C.F.B.); Centers for Disease Control (C.A.G.); Heidelberg Engineering (B.C.C., S.D., C.A.G., C.Y.M., A.F.S., C.F.B.). The sponsor of the funding organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research.
HUMAN SUBJECTS: Human subjects were included in this study. The human ethics committees at each institution approved the study. All research adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provided informed consent.
No animal subjects were used in this study.
Author Contributions:
Conception and design: Chauhan, Burgoyne
Data collection: Sharpe, Demirel, Girkin, Mardin, Scheuerle
Analysis and interpretation: Chauhan, Vianna, Burgoyne
Obtained funding: Chauhan, Burgoyne
Overall responsibility: Chauhan, Burgoyne