Effects of Age on Optical Coherence Tomography Measurements of Healthy Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer, Macula, and Optic Nerve Head
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Author(s)
Sung, Kyung Rim
Wollstein, Gadi
Bilonick, Richard A.
Townsend, Kelly A.
Ishikawa, Hiroshi
Kagemann, Larry
Noecker, Robert J.
Fujimoto, James G.
Schuman, Joel S.
Date Issued
June 2009
Journal
Ophthalmology
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Sung, Kyung Rim et al. “Effects of Age on Optical Coherence Tomography Measurements of Healthy Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer, Macula, and Optic Nerve Head.” Ophthalmology 116.6 (2009): 1119–1124.
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Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Purpose—To determine the effects of age on global and sectoral peripapillary retinal nerve fiber
layer (RNFL), macular thicknesses and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters in healthy subjects using
optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Design—Retrospective, cross-sectional observational study.
Participants—226 eyes from 124 healthy subjects were included.
Methods—Healthy subjects were scanned using the Fast RNFL, Fast Macula, and Fast ONH scan
patterns on a Stratus OCT. All global and sectoral RNFL and macular parameters and global ONH
parameters were modeled in terms of age using linear mixed effects models. Normalized slopes were
also calculated by dividing the slopes by the mean value of the OCT parameter for inter-parameter
comparison.
Main Outcome Measures—Slope of each OCT parameter across age.
Results—All global and sectoral RNFL thickness parameters statistically significantly decreased
with increasing age, except for the temporal quadrant and clock hours 8-10, which were not statistically different from a slope of zero. Highest absolute slopes were in the inferior and superior
quadrant RNFL and clock hour 1 (superior nasal). Normalized slopes showed similar rate in all sectors
except for the temporal clock hours (8-10). All macular thickness parameters statistically
significantly decreased with increasing age, except for the central fovea sector, which had a slight
positive slope that was not statistically significant. The nasal outer sector had the greatest absolute
slope. Normalized macular slope in the outer ring was similar to the normalized slopes in the RNFL.
Normalized inner ring had shallower slope than the outer ring with similar rate in all quadrants. Disc
area remained nearly constant across the ages, but cup area increased and rim area decreased with
age, both of which were statistically significant.
Conclusions—Global and regional changes due to the effects of age on RNFL, macula and ONH
OCT measurements should be considered when assessing eyes over time.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2009.01.004
