![]() Thus both are considered to be part of the central nervous system (CNS). The retina and optic nerve extend from the diencephalon during their embryonic development. Therefore, integrating measures of the retinal vascular network and visual performance into the cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative assessment approaches that are currently used to investigate the mechanisms and alterations of brain function could lead to a better quantitative and qualitative assessment in the primary care setting.Homology Between Cerebral and Retinal Microvasculature Based on the multifaceted nature of the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, it is expected that the ideal prediction models for the future development of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, and risk of progression from early to late stages, will originate from approaches that combine multiple diagnostic methods. Only studies with the highest level of evidence for each disorder were reviewed and discussed. The possible role of retinal vascular imaging biomarkers in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative screening is also discussed, as well as their role in the risk identification for cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In this perspective, we intend to give a broad, but by no means a complete, review of current information on retinal vascular changes in correlation with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. ![]() Also, it may provide an affordable and faster possibility for potentially replacing and/or complementing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the central nervous system.Īdvances in optical imaging technologies have facilitated that the retinal microvasculature can be noninvasively visualized, quantified, and monitored. Examining pathological alterations of retinal microvessels may be valuable for understanding the etiology of various cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disorders consequently, retinal imaging can be possibly translated into primary clinical care. Notably, this link reinforces the use of retinal microvessels as biomarkers to assess the conditions of the cerebral microvessels supplying brain tissues. Most clinic- and population-based studies have revealed that cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative lesions are correlated with structural changes in the retinal microvasculature and its neural layers, supporting the hypothesis that the retina may be a window to the brain. Patients with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases often have symptoms affecting visual function, including loss of best-corrected visual acuity, reduced contrast sensitivity, ocular motility abnormalities, and color vision defects ( 71). The link between retinal pathology and a variety of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases has been established by multiple studies ( 71). The association between vision problems and cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the possible role of retinal microvascular imaging biomarkers in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative screening, their potentials, and limitations, are also discussed. We also review the potential role of retinal microvessels in the risk identification of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent techniques and imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), allow more precise visualization of various layers of the retina and its microcirculation, providing a “microscope” to brain microvessels. In this review, we show how the conditions of the retinal microvessels could be used to assess the conditions of brain microvessels because the microvascular network of the retina and brain share, in many aspects, standard features in development, morphology, function, and pathophysiology. ![]() ![]() Thus noninvasive visualization of the human retinal microcirculation offers an exceptional opportunity for the investigation of not only the retinal but also cerebral microvasculature. Increasing evidence suggests that the conditions of retinal microvessels are indicators to a variety of cerebrovascular, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and developmental diseases. ![]()
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