Physiological variation of segmented OCT retinal layer thicknesses is short-lasting

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 260; no. 12; pp. 3109 - 3114
• Main Authors: Balk, Lisanne, Mayer, Markus, Uitdehaag, Bernard M. J., Petzold, Axel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Algorithms; Automation; Blood pressure; Blood vessels; Cell Size; Charities; Female; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Physiology; Retina - anatomy & histology; Running - physiology; Software; Statistical analysis; Tomography; Tomography, Optical Coherence; OCT; Retina; Physiology; Cell volume changes
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-013-7097-6

The application of spectral domain optical coherence tomography as a surrogate for neurodegeneration in a range of neurological disorders demands better understanding of the physiological variation of retinal layer thicknesses, which may mask any value of this emerging outcome measure. A prospective study compared retinal layer thicknesses between control subjects ( n  = 15) and runners ( n  = 27) participating in a 10-km charity run. Three scans were performed using an eye-tracking function (EBF) and automated scan registration for optimal precision at (1) baseline, (2) directly after the run, and (3) following a rehydration period. Retinal layer segmentation was performed with suppression of axial retinal vessel signal artifacts. Following the run, there was an increase in the relative retinal nerve fibre layer ( p  = 0.018), the combined inner plexiform/ganglion cell layer ( p  = 0.038), and the outer nuclear layer ( p  = 0.018) in runners compared to controls. The initial increase of thickness in the outer nuclear layer of runners ( p  < 0.0001) was likely related to (noncompliant) rehydration during exercise. Following a period of rest and rehydration, the difference in thickness change for all retinal layers, except the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) ( p  < 0.05), disappeared between the two groups. There is a quantifiable change in the axial thickness of retinal layersthat which can be explained by an increase in the cellular volume. This effect may potentially be caused by H 2 O volume shifts.