Association of structural and functional retinal and cerebral brain alterations in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia – Are there common transdiagnostic or differentiating markers?

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Dieter Ebert; Dr. Simon Julian Maier; Privatdozentin Dr. Kathrin Nickel; Professor Ludger Tebartz van Elst, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Clinical Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 551165096

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are currently regarded as separate disorders, however, both share early neurodevelopmental biological factors and substantial genetic and clinical overlap. Therefore, studies aim to investigate potential biomarkers for ASD and SCZ that distinguish the two disorders or objectify the overlap.A pilot study of our research group showed overlapping structural retinal alterations in both disorders, while functional retinal changes could only be detected in patients with schizophrenia. Previous studies indicate correlations between retinal thickness, brain volumetric (total brain volume, grey and white matter volume) and microstructural parameters (fractional anisotropy). Sixty patients (30 acute psychotic, 30 with residual negative symptoms) with SCZ, 40 patients with ASD and 40 neurotypical control subjects will be examined opthalmologically with electroretinogram (ERG) (functional) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) (structural) as well as receive structural brain imaging (MRI) examination including a diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) sequence. For the first time, we will investigate whether associations between retinal and structural cerebral parameters are detectable in patients with ASD or SCZ. The aims of the current study are: (1) To investigate whether functional (ERG) and structural (OCT) retinal alterations in patients with ASD and SCZ overlap or differentiate both disorders (2) To analyze possible underlying correlates of retinal changes (e.g. the effect of neuroleptic medication or state of the illness (acute psychotic vs predominantly negative symptoms) on the recorded retinal signals (3) To investigate whether associations between retinal and brain structural parameters are detectable in patients with ASD and SCZ.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants