Retinal glial changes in Alzheimer's diseaseA review
- José A. Fernández Albarral 3
- Elena Salobrar García 3
- Rebeca Martínez Páramo 3
- Ana Isabel Ramírez Sebastián 13
- Rosa de Hoz Montañana 13
- José M. Ramírez Sebastian 23
- Juan José Salazar Corral 13
- 1 Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Departamento de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORL, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
- 2 Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORL, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
- 3 Instituto de Investigaciones Oftalmológicas Ramón Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
ISSN: 1888-4296
Année de publication: 2019
Volumen: 12
Número: 3
Pages: 198-207
Type: Article
D'autres publications dans: Journal of Optometry: peer-reviewed Journal of the Spanish General Council of Optometry
Résumé
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative dementia characterized by the deposition of extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles. Until now, the techniques used to analyze these deposits have been difficult to access, invasive, and expensive. This leads us to consider new access routes to the central nervous system (CNS), allowing us to diagnose the disease before the first symptoms appear. Recent studies have shown that microglial and macroglial cell activation could play a role in the development of this disease. Glial cells in the CNS can respond to various damages, such as neurodegenerative pathologies, with morphological and functional changes. These changes are a common feature in neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. The retina is considered an extension of the CNS and has a population of glial cells similar to that of the CNS. When glial cells are activated, various molecules are released and changes in glial cell expression occur, which can be indicators of neuronal damage. The objective of this review is to compile the most relevant findings in the last 10 years relating to alterations in the eye in AD, and the role that glial cells play in the degenerative process in the retina in the context of neurodegeneration.