Skip to content

Finding Retinal Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease

Finding Retinal Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05067010
Acronym
FIREBALZ
Enrollment
93
Registered
2021-10-04
Start date
2021-06-10
Completion date
2024-12-24
Last updated
2025-04-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease

Keywords

Biomarkers

Brief summary

CSF Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers are the only one that reflect both Aβ and tau pathologies. There is increasing evidence for the presence of AD abnormalities in the retina of AD patients. Recent studies showed that they can be detected in living patients. Thus, retinal AD-linked abnormalities might be used as alternative diagnostic biomarkers for AD. FIREBALZ study aims at identifying and validating retinal biomarkers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The study will include 160 patients in whom LP is indicated for assessment of CSF AD biomarkers according to French health authority (HAS) recommendations. Those patients will undergo a detailed neuro-ophtalmologic evaluation including retinal layers thickness evaluation (optical coherence tomography). Univariate and multivariate analyses will be performed to test diagnostic properties of retinal parameters as compared to current diagnostic criteria including CSF biomarkers and logistic regression models will be used.

Detailed description

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers are the only one that reflect both Aβ and tau pathologies. There is increasing evidence for the presence of AD abnormalities in the retina of AD patients. Recent studies showed that they can be detected in living patients. Thus, retinal AD-linked abnormalities might be used as alternative diagnostic biomarkers for AD. FIREBALZ study aims at identifying and validating retinal biomarkers for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The study will include 160 patients in whom lumbar puncture is indicated for assessment of CSF AD biomarkers according to French health authority recommendations. All patients will be recruited in the Cognitive Neurology Center (CMRR Paris Nord Ile-De-France), Paris, France. Patients will undergo a detailed neuro-ophtalmologic evaluation including complete ophthalmologic work-up to rule out chronic retinal pathology and retinal layers thickness evaluation (optical coherence tomography). Inclusion period will be 40.5 months, Study duration for participants will be 6 at 12 weeks. Two groups of patients will be defined for comparison according to LP results : patients with AD according to McKhann 2011 criteria and patients without AD Univariate and multivariate analyses will be performed to test diagnostic properties of retinal parameters and logistic regression models will be used.

Interventions

OTHERDetailed ophthalmologic examination

* Visual acuity * Eye pressure measurement * Eye crystalline examination * Fundus examination * Optical coherence tomography of the retina * Retinophotos

Sponsors

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient managed at the cognitive neurology center for cognitive impairment with a defined LP indication for the assessment of CSF AD biomarkers according to French National Health Agency recommandations in a clinical practice setting * Patients with National Health Insurance coverage * Patients willing to participate to the research and sign informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Patient refusing to participate to research or unable to sign informed consent * Patients without indication or displaying contraindication of LP * Chronic retinal pathology interfering with analysis : * chronic glaucoma * diabetic retinopathy * severe hypertensive retinopathy * Contraindication to brain MRI * Other pathology considered as severe and impairing life expectancy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Diagnostic properties of retinal layers thickness measurement using OCTup to 6 at 12 weeksDiagnostic properties of retinal layers thickness measurement using OCT for the diagnosis of probable AD according to McKahnn 2011 criteria combining clinical criteria and CSF biomarkers results.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
the diagnostic properties of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinophotos for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's diseaseup to 6 at 12 weeksthe diagnostic properties of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinophotos for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Relationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and retinal abnormalitiesup to 6 at 12 weeksRelationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and retinal abnormalities
Relationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and markers of clinicalup to 6 at 12 weeksRelationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and markers of clinical
Relationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and imaging severityup to 6 at 12 weeksRelationship between retinal layer thickness measurments and imaging (hippocampal volume and cortical atrophy evaluated semi-quantitatively on brain MRI) severity
the diagnostic properties of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinophotos for the diagnosis of cognitive alteration of neurodegenerative origin (all causes)up to 6 at 12 weeksthe diagnostic properties of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retinophotos for the diagnosis of cognitive alteration of neurodegenerative origin (all causes)

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026