The development of effective therapies for cognitive impairment (CI), especially due to Alzheimer's disease, demands diagnosing the condition during the prodromal phase. The diagnosis of CI involves expensive and invasive methods, such as positron emission tomography and cerebrospinal fluid assessment via spinal tap. Hence, a comparatively lower cost and noninvasive method of diagnosis is imperative. The human retina is an extension of the brain characterized by similarities in vascular and neural structures. The complications of CI are not only limited to the brain but also affect the retina for which the loss of retinal ganglion cells has been associated with neurodegeneration in the brain. The loss of retinal ganglion cells in individuals with CI may be related to reduced vascular demand and a potential remodeling of the retinal vascular branching complexity. Retinal imaging biomarkers may provide a low cost and noninvasive alternative for the diagnosis of CI. In this study, the retinal vascular branching complexity of patients with CI was characterized using the singularity spectrum multifractal dimension and lacunarity parameter. A reduced vascular branching complexity was observed in subjects with CI when compared to age- and sex-matched cognitively healthy controls. Significant associations were also found between retinal vascular and functional parameters.

中文翻译：

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通过使用奇异谱和视网膜血管网络的盲点分析来区分认知障碍。

尤其是由于阿尔茨海默氏病而导致的认知障碍（CI）有效疗法的开发要求在前驱期进行诊断。CI的诊断涉及昂贵且侵入性的方法，例如正电子发射断层扫描和通过脊髓水龙头评估脑脊液。因此，必须有相对较低的成本和无创的诊断方法。人体视网膜是大脑的延伸，其特征是血管和神经结构的相似性。CI的并发症不仅限于大脑，而且还会影响视网膜神经节细胞的丢失与视网膜神经变性相关的视网膜。CI患者的视网膜神经节细胞损失可能与血管需求减少和视网膜血管分支复杂性的潜在重塑有关。视网膜成像生物标志物可以为诊断CI提供低成本且无创的替代方法。在这项研究中，使用奇异谱的多重分形维数和腔隙度参数来表征CI患者的视网膜血管分支复杂性。与年龄和性别相匹配的认知健康对照组相比，CI患者的血管分支复杂性降低。视网膜血管和功能参数之间也发现了重要的联系。CI的奇异谱多重分形维数和盲点参数表征了CI患者的视网膜血管分支复杂性。与年龄和性别相匹配的认知健康对照组相比，CI患者的血管分支复杂性降低。视网膜血管和功能参数之间也发现了重要的联系。CI的奇异谱多重分形维数和腔隙度参数表征了CI患者的视网膜血管分支复杂性。与年龄和性别相匹配的认知健康对照组相比，CI患者的血管分支复杂性降低。视网膜血管和功能参数之间也发现了重要的联系。