Retinal Changes Linked To Cognition In Schizophrenia
The study, conducted in collaboration with Harvard University and Rochester University, analysed 16 research papers involving 847 patients with schizophrenia and related disorders: Reports
HYDERABAD: Problems with memory, attention, processing speed and other thinking abilities in people with schizophrenia are associated with changes in the thickness of certain retinal layers, according to a systematic review and meta‑analysis published in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry by psychiatrists from AIIMS Bibinagar.
The study, conducted in collaboration with Harvard University and Rochester University, analysed 16 research papers involving 847 patients with schizophrenia and related disorders. Data from 1,475 eyes were examined to assess whether retinal thickness was linked to cognitive functioning.
Findings showed that overall cognitive ability was associated with the thickness of the macular retinal nerve fibre layer and the upper quadrant of the retinal nerve fibre layer around the optic disc. Attention was associated with three retinal measurements, while processing speed was linked to the thickness of the fovea and two other retinal layers.
Executive function, including planning and problem‑solving, was associated with macular thickness and the macular retinal nerve fibre layer, said Dr Sai Krishna Tikka, associate professor of Psychiatry at AIIMS Bibinagar, one of the researchers.
The team used optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non‑invasive imaging technique that measures retinal thickness. As the retina develops from brain‑related tissue and shares neural features, changes in retinal structure may provide clues about processes linked to cognitive functioning.
The findings suggest retinal imaging could help clinicians assess cognitive difficulties and identify people vulnerable to cognitive and functional decline. Impairments in attention, executive function and processing speed can affect everyday activities.
However, researchers cautioned that the associations were generally weak and did not establish cause‑and‑effect. Retinal changes do not prove cognitive problems, nor can scans independently diagnose impairment. The review was limited by the small number of studies and differences in methods used to assess cognition, with some associations inconsistent across studies.
Further long‑term studies are needed to determine whether retinal changes track schizophrenia progression and predict cognitive decline. Researchers suggested OCT assessments could eventually support clinical evaluation and treatment planning, but more evidence is required before routine use.