Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rothman, AL; Sevilla, MB; Mangalesh, S; Gustafson, KE; Edwards, L; Cotten, CM; Shimony, JS; Pizoli, CE; El-Dairi, MA; Freedman, SF; Toth, CA
Published in: Am J Ophthalmol
December 2015

PURPOSE: To assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness at term-equivalent age in very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) vs term-born infant cohorts, and compare very preterm infant RNFL thickness with brain anatomy and neurodevelopment. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: RNFL was semi-automatically segmented (1 eye per infant) in 57 very preterm and 50 term infants with adequate images from bedside portable, handheld spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging at 37-42 weeks postmenstrual age. Mean RNFL thickness was calculated for the papillomacular bundle (-15 degrees to +15 degrees) and temporal quadrant (-45 degrees to +45 degrees) relative to the fovea-optic nerve axis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans clinically obtained in 26 very preterm infants were scored for global structural abnormalities by an expert masked to data except for age. Cognitive, language, and motor skills were assessed in 33 of the very preterm infants at 18-24 months corrected age. RESULTS: RNFL was thinner for very preterm vs term infants at the papillomacular bundle ([mean ± standard deviation] 61 ± 17 vs 72 ± 13 μm, P < .001) and temporal quadrant (72 ± 21 vs 82 ± 16 μm, P = .005). In very preterm infants, thinner papillomacular bundle RNFL correlated with higher global brain MRI lesion burden index (R(2) = 0.35, P = .001) and lower cognitive (R(2) = 0.18, P = .01) and motor (R(2) = 0.17, P = .02) scores. Relationships were similar for temporal quadrant. CONCLUSIONS: Thinner RNFL in very preterm infants relative to term-born infants may relate to brain structure and neurodevelopment.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Am J Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1879-1891

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

160

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1296 / 1308.e2

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Term Birth
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Nerve Fibers
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Rothman, A. L., Sevilla, M. B., Mangalesh, S., Gustafson, K. E., Edwards, L., Cotten, C. M., … Toth, C. A. (2015). Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment. Am J Ophthalmol, 160(6), 1296-1308.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2015.09.015
Rothman, Adam L., Monica B. Sevilla, Shwetha Mangalesh, Kathryn E. Gustafson, Laura Edwards, C Michael Cotten, Joshua S. Shimony, et al. “Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment.Am J Ophthalmol 160, no. 6 (December 2015): 1296-1308.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2015.09.015.
Rothman AL, Sevilla MB, Mangalesh S, Gustafson KE, Edwards L, Cotten CM, et al. Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;160(6):1296-1308.e2.
Rothman, Adam L., et al. “Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment.Am J Ophthalmol, vol. 160, no. 6, Dec. 2015, pp. 1296-1308.e2. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2015.09.015.
Rothman AL, Sevilla MB, Mangalesh S, Gustafson KE, Edwards L, Cotten CM, Shimony JS, Pizoli CE, El-Dairi MA, Freedman SF, Toth CA. Thinner Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Very Preterm Versus Term Infants and Relationship to Brain Anatomy and Neurodevelopment. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;160(6):1296-1308.e2.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1879-1891

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

160

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1296 / 1308.e2

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Term Birth
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Nerve Fibers
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases