Could structural changes in the retinal layers be a new biomarker of mental disorders? A systematic review and thematic synthesis

Publication date: Available online 4 July 2019Source: Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (English Edition)Author(s): María Paz García-Portilla, Leticia García-Álvarez, Lorena de la Fuente-Tomás, Ángela Velasco-Iglesias, Pilar Alejandra Sáiz, Leticia González-Blanco, María Teresa Bobes Bascarán, Begoña Baamonde, Ignacio Alcalde, Jesús Merayo-Lloves, Julio BobesAbstractIt has recently been suggested that alterations of the layers of the retina could be a biomarker of specific mental disorders since they originate in the same embryonic layer as the brain and both are interconnected through the optic nerve. The purpose of this article is to offer a systematic review of the literature and a thematic synthesis on the current state of the alterations of the retina layers identified by optical coherence tomography in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. For this purpose, we performed a bibliographic search, a systematic review of the studies and a thematic synthesis of the reported findings.Patients with schizophrenia have more abnormal findings followed by patients with bipolar disorder, with very few findings in depression. The nerve fibre layer is the retinal layer with more abnormal findings both in schizophrenia and in bipolar disorder, while no study in major depression found alterations in it. Of the clinical parameters, the duration of the illness correlates significantly and inversely with the thickness of the different layers i...
Source: Revista de Psiquiatria y Salud Mental - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research