Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Outperforms Brain Atrophy as an Imaging Biomarker in Diabetic Retinopathy.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

This study aimed to examine microvascular lesions and neurodegenerative changes in diabetic retinopathy (DR) compared to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without DR (NDR) using structural MRI and to explore their associations with DR.

Methods

243 patients with NDR and 122 patients with DR were included. Participants underwent conventional brain MRI scans, clinical measurements, and fundus examinations. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) imaging parameters were obtained using AI-based software, manually verified, and corrected for accuracy. Volumes of major cortical and subcortical regions representing neurodegeneration were assessed using automated brain segmentation and quantitative techniques. Statistical analysis included T-test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test,

SUBMITTER: Shen X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11836613 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature