FEATURES OF RETINAL HEMODYNAMICS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH VEGETATIVE DYSTONIA SYNDROME

Abstract

Age-related changes in autonomic regulation significantly affect vascular tone and microcirculatory processes. In elderly patients, autonomic imbalance may lead to functional disturbances in the retinal vascular system, which reflects the condition of cerebral microcirculation. The present study is devoted to the assessment of retinal hemodynamic parameters in elderly individuals diagnosed with vegetative dystonia syndrome. Retinal blood flow was examined in four anatomical quadrants—upper, lower, temporal, and nasal—using standardized scanning with central fixation. When fixation instability was detected, repeated measurements were carried out to ensure accurate visualization and eliminate motion artifacts. The obtained data were analyzed with respect to the topographic distribution of hemodynamic changes. The analysis revealed a heterogeneous pattern of retinal blood flow alterations. More pronounced disturbances were identified in the upper, temporal, and lower quadrants, while the nasal quadrant showed relatively preserved hemodynamic parameters. These findings indicate selective vulnerability of certain retinal regions to autonomic dysregulation in elderly patients. The results emphasize the diagnostic value of retinal hemodynamic assessment as a non-invasive approach for detecting microvascular dysfunction associated with vegetative dystonia syndrome and may contribute to improved evaluation of vascular risk in the elderly population.