Association Between Age-related Macular Degeneration and Cognitive Impairment Based on Exosome Proteomics

Inclusion criteria

• All dry AMD patients were diagnosed based on the Clinical Classification of Age-Related Macular Degeneration issued by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

All patients with MCI meet the Petersen criteria, including memory impairment, no abnormal cognitive function, dementia, or some cognitive impairment in daily life. A Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥24 points and a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score between 18 and 25 points were required.

Exclusion criteria

• The systemic physical exclusion criteria were as follows:(a) Metabolic syndromes such as diabetes or obesity;(b) Uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension;(c) Serious cardiac disease;(d) Neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or peripheral neuropathy;(e) Psychiatric diseases such as hallucinations or depressive disorders;(f) a history of brain injury, stroke, or substance abuse.

The ocular exclusion criteria were as follows: (a) intraocular pressure(IOP) > 21 mmHg; (b) axial length(AL) > 25 mm or <22 mm; (c) anterior segment disease affecting fundus examination; (d) retinal pathologic changes associated with high myopia or serious refractive errors (>5D of spherical equivalent refraction or >3D of astigmatism); (e) concomitant ocular diseases, such as glaucoma or retinal detachment; (f) other genetic ocular diseases; and (g) other fundus diseases, including macular hiatus, macular edema, retinal vascular occlusion, or central serous chorioretinopathy.