Eye-brain connections revealed by multimodal retinal and brain imaging genetics.
Nat Commun
; 15(1): 6064, 2024 Jul 18.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39025851
ABSTRACT
The retina, an anatomical extension of the brain, forms physiological connections with the visual cortex of the brain. Although retinal structures offer a unique opportunity to assess brain disorders, their relationship to brain structure and function is not well understood. In this study, we conducted a systematic cross-organ genetic architecture analysis of eye-brain connections using retinal and brain imaging endophenotypes. We identified novel phenotypic and genetic links between retinal imaging biomarkers and brain structure and function measures from multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with many associations involving the primary visual cortex and visual pathways. Retinal imaging biomarkers shared genetic influences with brain diseases and complex traits in 65 genomic regions, with 18 showing genetic overlap with brain MRI traits. Mendelian randomization suggests bidirectional genetic causal links between retinal structures and neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Overall, our findings reveal the genetic basis for eye-brain connections, suggesting that retinal images can help uncover genetic risk factors for brain disorders and disease-related changes in intracranial structure and function.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Retina
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Encéfalo
/
Imagen por Resonancia Magnética
Límite:
Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Commun
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos