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Journals / Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 22 Sayı: 3

Effects of Anxiety Disorder on Choroidal Vascularity Index and Central Macular Thickness: A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis

Anksiyete Bozukluğu Hastalarında Santral Makula Kalınlığı ve Koroidal Vaskülarite İndeksinin Spektral-Domain Optik Koherens Tomografi ile Değerlendirilmesi

İbrahim Edhem Yılmaz(GAZIANTEP ISLAM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)0000-0003-1154-425X
Mustafa Berhuni(GAZIANTEP ISLAM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)0000-0002-5725-2634
Gizem Gürbostan Soysal(Gaziantep City Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Gaziantep, Turkey)0000-0002-6314-9246
Nesime Setge Tıskaoğlu(3- Manisa City Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology)0000-0002-6441-788X
Ali Hakim Reyhan(HARRAN UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)0000-0001-8402-0954
Nükhet Yiğitbaş Gören(Gaziantep Şehir Hastanesi)0000-0001-7685-4263
Pages
468–472
Publication Date
2025-09-29
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Keywords: Generalized anxiety disorder, Choroidal vascularity index, Central macular thickness, Optical coherence tomography, Psychophysiology, Biomarkers

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Materials and Methods: This retrospective comparative study analyzed 85 participants (38 general-ized anxiety disorder patients, 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls).
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Key Findings & Data:Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, sensitivity analyses, effect size calculations, and correlation assessments (α = 0.05).
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Conclusion & Impact:Keywords: Generalized anxiety disorder, Choroidal vascularity index, Central macular thickness, Optical coherence tomography, Psychophysiology, Biomarkers
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Generalized anxiety disorder · Choroidal vascularity index · Central macular thickness

Abstract

Materials and Methods: This retrospective comparative study analyzed 85 participants (38 general-ized anxiety disorder patients, 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls). Comprehensive oph-thalmic examinations and macular SD-OCT imaging with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) were per-formed. CMT was measured automatically, while CVI was calculated using standardized ImageJ binarization protocols. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, sensitivity analyses, effect size calculations, and correlation assessments (α = 0.05). Results: Groups demonstrated comparable demographics (age p=0.492; sex p=0.659; IOP p=0.472). No significant differences emerged in CMT (249.4±20.5 µm vs. 246.0±32.5 µm; p=0.582; Cohen's d=0.12) or CVI (70.3±3.3% vs. 70.5±3.6%; p=0.787; d=-0.06). Sensitivity analyses (medication-free subgroup, non-smokers) and anxiety severity correlations yielded consistent null findings. Conclusions: This robust analysis found no evidence of structural posterior segment alterations in generalized anxiety disorder, challenging prevailing psychophysiological models. Findings highlight the choroid's resilience to chronic stress and underscore the need for multimodal biomarker ap-proaches in psychophysiological ophthalmology research. Keywords: Generalized anxiety disorder, Choroidal vascularity index, Central macular thickness, Optical coherence tomography, Psychophysiology, Biomarkers

Özet

Amaç: Yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu hastalarında spektral-domain optik koherens tomografi (SD-OKT) kullanarak santral makula kalınlığı (SMK) ve koroidal vaskülarite indeksinde (KVİ) potansiyel değişi-kliklerin araştırılması. Materyal ve Metod: Bu retrospektif karşılaştırmalı çalışmada yaşa göre eşleştirilmiş 85 katılımcı (38 yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu hastası, 47 sağlıklı kontrol) analiz edildi. Kapsamlı oftalmolojik muay-eneler ve geliştirilmiş derinlik görüntüleme (EDI) ile makular SD-OKT görüntülemesi yapıldı. SMK otomatik olarak ölçüldü, KVİ ise standart ImageJ binarizasyon protokolleri kullanılarak hesaplandı. İstatistiksel analizler bağımsız t-testleri, duyarlılık analizleri, etki büyüklüğü hesaplamaları ve korela-syon değerlendirmelerini içerdi (α = 0.05). Bulgular: Gruplar benzer demografik özellikler gösterdi (yaş p=0.492; cinsiyet p=0.659; göz içi basıncı p=0.472). SMK (249.4±20.5 µm karşı 246.0±32.5 µm; p=0.582; d=0.12) veya KVİ (70.3±3.3% karşı 70.5±3.6%; p=0.787; d=-0.06) açısından anlamlı fark bulunmadı. Duyarlılık analizleri (ilaçsız alt grup, sigara içmeyenler) ve anksiyete şiddeti korelasyonları tutarlı anlamlı olmayan sonuçlar verdi. Sonuç: Bu analiz yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunda posterior segment değişikliklerinin bulunmadığına dair kanıt sağladı ve mevcut psikofizyolojik modelleri sorguladı. Bulgular koroidin kronik strese karşı direncini vurgulamakta ve psikofizyolojik oftalmoloji araştırmalarında multimodal biomarker yak-laşımlarının gerekliliğini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Yılmaz, İ. E., Berhuni, M., Soysal, G. G., Tıskaoğlu, N. S., Reyhan, A. H., Gören, N. Y. (2025). Effects of Anxiety Disorder on Choroidal Vascularity Index and Central Macular Thickness: A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis. Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 22 Sayı: 3, 468–472. https://doi.org/10.35440/hutfd.1720809

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