Plexus-Specific Effect of Flicker-Light Stimulation on the Retinal Microvasculature Assessed with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

In neural tissues, the coupling between neural activity and blood flow is a physiological key principle in blood flow regulation. We used optical coherence tomography angiography to investigate stimulus-evoked hemodynamic responses in different microvascular layers of the human retina. Twenty-two healthy subjects were included. Vessel density before and during light stimulation was measured using optical coherence tomography angiography and assessed for the superficial, intermediate and deep capillary plexus of the retinal circulation. Volumetric blood flow was measured using a custom-built Doppler optical coherence tomography system. Our results show that flicker stimulation induced a significant increase in the vessel density of ...