Could Retinal and Optic Nerve Microcirculation Serve as Biomarkers for Dyslexia?

PURPOSE: To evaluate retinal and optic nerve head microcirculation in children with dyslexia using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to explore whether retinal microvascular parameters differ between dyslexic and typically developing children.

METHODS

In this prospective cross-sectional study, thirty children with clinically diagnosed dyslexia and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent OCTA imaging using the RTVue XR Avanti system. Parameters assessed included vessel density in the superficial and deep capillary plexuses (SCP, DCP), outer retinal and choriocapillaris flow areas, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) size, optic disk vascular metrics, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Axial length was also measured to account for anatomical variability. Group comparisons and effect size analyses were performed, and correlations between axial length and OCTA metrics were examined.

RESULTS

Children with dyslexia demonstrated significantly reduced vessel density in the DCP (p = 0.014), outer retinal flow area (p = 0.026), and peripapillary region (p < 0.001), while SCP and FAZ parameters were preserved. Temporal RNFL thickness was selectively decreased (p = 0.045). Axial length was comparable between groups (p = 0.064) and showed no significant correlation with microvascular parameters. Cohen's d values indicated the strongest effect size for peripapillary vessel density (d = 1.14).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with dyslexia showed selective differences in retinal and optic nerve head microvascular parameters, particularly within deeper retinal layers and the peripapillary region. Given the cross-sectional design and modest sample size, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. Larger, longitudinal, and multimodal studies are required to confirm these observations and to clarify their potential research relevance.