TABLE 2.
Corneal sub-basal nerve plexus parameters.
| CN (n = 5) | MCI (n = 5) | AD (n = 5) | p-value | |
| Central area | ||||
| CNFL (mm/mm2) | 17.3 ± 4.6 | 16.2 ± 2.6 | 13.7 ± 6.0 | 0.48 |
| CNFD (fibers/mm2) | 27.8 ± 8.5 | 24.4 ± 3.9 | 22.5 ± 11.0 | 0.60 |
| CNBD (number/mm2) | 53.3 ± 20.5 | 43.9 ± 26.0 | 35.2 ± 18.9 | 0.45 |
| CTBD (total branches/mm2) | 75.9 ± 27.9 | 67.5 ± 40.4 | 47.3 ± 21.9 | 0.36 |
| Thickest nerve diameter (μm) | 5.28 ± 0.17 | 5.08 ± 0.11 | 5.25 ± 0.20 | 0.66 |
| Inferior whorl∧ | ||||
| CNFL (mm/mm2) | 15.9 ± 4.5 | 10.4 ± 4.3 | 13.8 ± 3.3 | 0.19 |
CNFL, total length of all nerve fibers in the image capture frame per unit area; CNFD, total number of main fibers divided by the area of the image frame (fibers/mm2); CNBD, total number of main nerve branches, being branches that stem from a nerve fiber, divided by the area of the image frame (branches on main fiber/mm2); CTBD, total number of branches within the area of the image frame (total branches/mm2). ∧Inferior whorl data were available for n = 5 cognitive normal (CN), n = 4 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and n = 4 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) participants.