Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to find an association between retinal microvascular abnormality and depression in young people.
Method: The research involved 45 patients with a diagnosis of depression in the diagnostic categories F32 (depressive episode) and F33 (recurrent depressive disorder) according to the ICD-10 classification of mental disorders. The participants with depressive disorder were hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital Hradec Králové (FNHK), aged 16 to 55 (men N = 13, women N = 32) who were compared with mentally healthy subjects aged 18 to 61 (men N = 29, women N = 11). Retinal images were obtained using stationary Fundus camera FF450 by Zeiss and hand-held camera by oDocs nun. For evaluating the retinal photos, Vampire annotation tool and Knudtson-Hubbard revised formula were applied. The results in pixels were converted to micrometers using a calibration factor.
Results: Our preliminary results show significant microvascular changes in the retina in the patients with depressive disorder in comparison to the control group of mentally healthy subjects (p < 0.0001), especially larger arteriolar and venular calibers. Due to a different representation of men and women in the both groups, we also compared each gender separately. There were significantly larger arteriolar and venular retinal calibers in depressive men (p < 0.0002) as well as in depressive women (p < 0.0001) in comparison with mentally healthy males and females.
Conclusion: Our preliminary results show an association of depressive disorder with larger retinal vessel calibers in young people possibly due to microinflammation.