Retinal Neurovascular Structure in Colombian Patients With Early-Course Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that the neurovascular structure of the retina is affected in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, no research has investigated this in Colombian patients. This cross-sectional study explores whether individuals diagnosed with early-course SSD exhibit distinct retinal structure and microvasculature compared to healthy controls (HCs) and whether these differences correlate with clinical, course-related, and cognitive variables. Methods: Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 20) or schizoaffective disorder (n = 2) and age/gender-matched HCs (n = 21) were included. Retinal structure was assessed using Optical Coherence Tomography – Angiography. Statistical analyses included general linear models adjusted for covariates such as age, gender, spherical equivalent, and smoking status. Associations between retinal measures and clinical or cognitive variables were explored using linear regression and correlation analyses. Results: Retinal measures were generally lower in patients than in HCs, with statistically significant differences observed only in the right eye's inferior and average macular deep vessel density (VD). Symptom severity was inversely correlated with Ganglion Cell Complex thickness and macular/papillary VD. The premorbid adjustment was associated with vascular measures but not neural tissue measures, while the duration of untreated psychosis was unrelated to any retinal measures. Longer time since the last hospitalization and better cognitive performance were linked to a thicker retinal structure. Conclusions: Retina could provide valuable and rapid information in real-world settings about brain health in SSD, so longitudinal studies on neurovascular retinal structure, including metabolic, inflammatory, and neuroimaging variables, in prodromal and early-course SSD are needed.