TY - JOUR
T1 - Cone photoreceptor packing density and the outer nuclear layer thickness in healthy subjects
AU - Chui, Toco Y.P.
AU - Song, Hongxin
AU - Clark, Christopher A.
AU - Papay, Joel A.
AU - Burns, Stephen A.
AU - Elsner, Ann E.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - PURPOSE. We evaluated the relationship between cone photoreceptor packing density and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness within the central 15 degrees. METHODS. Individual differences for healthy subjects in cone packing density and ONL thickness were examined in 8 younger and 8 older subjects, mean age 27.2 versus 56.2 years. Cone packing density was obtained using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). The ONL thickness measurements included the ONL and the Henle fiber layer (ONL{thorn}HFL), and were obtained using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) and custom segmentation software. RESULTS. There were sizeable individual differences in cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness. Older subjects had on average lower cone packing densities, but thicker ONL {thorn} HFL measurements. Cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness decreased with increasing retinal eccentricity. The ratio of the cone packing density-to-ONL2 was larger for the younger subjects group, and decreased with retinal eccentricity. CONCLUSIONS. The individual differences in cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness are consistent with aging changes, indicating that normative aging data are necessary for fine comparisons in the early stages of disease or response to treatment. Our finding of ONL{thorn}HFL thickness increasing with aging is inconsistent with the hypothesis that ONL measurements with SDOCT depend only on the number of functioning cones, since in our older group cones were fewer, but thickness was greater.
AB - PURPOSE. We evaluated the relationship between cone photoreceptor packing density and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness within the central 15 degrees. METHODS. Individual differences for healthy subjects in cone packing density and ONL thickness were examined in 8 younger and 8 older subjects, mean age 27.2 versus 56.2 years. Cone packing density was obtained using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). The ONL thickness measurements included the ONL and the Henle fiber layer (ONL{thorn}HFL), and were obtained using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) and custom segmentation software. RESULTS. There were sizeable individual differences in cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness. Older subjects had on average lower cone packing densities, but thicker ONL {thorn} HFL measurements. Cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness decreased with increasing retinal eccentricity. The ratio of the cone packing density-to-ONL2 was larger for the younger subjects group, and decreased with retinal eccentricity. CONCLUSIONS. The individual differences in cone packing density and ONL {thorn} HFL thickness are consistent with aging changes, indicating that normative aging data are necessary for fine comparisons in the early stages of disease or response to treatment. Our finding of ONL{thorn}HFL thickness increasing with aging is inconsistent with the hypothesis that ONL measurements with SDOCT depend only on the number of functioning cones, since in our older group cones were fewer, but thickness was greater.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865637752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1167/iovs.11-8694
DO - 10.1167/iovs.11-8694
M3 - Article
C2 - 22570340
AN - SCOPUS:84865637752
SN - 0146-0404
VL - 53
SP - 3545
EP - 3553
JO - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
JF - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
IS - 7
ER -