Loss of corneal nerves and brain volume in mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Abstract Introduction This study compared the capability of corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain volumetry for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, participants with no cognitive impairment (NCI), MCI, and dementia underwent assessment of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), MRI brain volumetry, and CCM. Results Two hundred eight participants with NCI (n = 42), MCI (n = 98), and dementia (n = 68) of comparable age and gender were studied. For MCI, the area under the curve (AUC) of CCM (76% to 81%), was higher than brain volumetry (52% to 70%). For dementia, the AUC of CCM (77% to 85%), was comparable to brain volumetry (69% to 93%). Corneal nerve fiber density, length, branch density, whole brain, hippocampus, cortical gray matter, thalamus, amygdala, and ventricle volumes were associated with cognitive impairment after adjustment for confounders (All P’s