@article{AttarMerkKotliaretal.2019, author = {Attar, Mandana Hossein Zadeh and Merk, Hans F. and Kotliar, Konstantin and Wurpts, Gerda and R{\"o}seler, Stefani and Moll-Slodowy, Silke and Plange, Johann and Baron, Jens Malte and Balakirski, Galina}, title = {The CD63 basophil activation test as a diagnostic tool for assessing autoimmunity in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria}, series = {European Journal of Dermatology}, volume = {29}, journal = {European Journal of Dermatology}, number = {6}, doi = {10.1684/ejd.2019.3680}, pages = {614 -- 618}, year = {2019}, language = {en} } @article{AlbannaLuekeSjapicetal.2017, author = {Albanna, Walid and Lueke, Jan Niklas and Sjapic, Volha and Kotliar, Konstantin and Hescheler, J{\"u}rgen and Clusmann, Hans and Sjapic, Sergej and Alpdogan, Serdan and Schneider, Toni and Schubert, Gerrit Alexander and Neumaier, Felix}, title = {Electroretinographic Assessment of Inner Retinal Signaling in the Isolated and Superfused Murine Retina}, series = {Current Eye Research}, journal = {Current Eye Research}, number = {Article in press}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {London}, issn = {1460-2202}, doi = {10.1080/02713683.2017.1339807}, pages = {1 -- 9}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{KotliarHauserOrtneretal.2017, author = {Kotliar, Konstantin and Hauser, Christine and Ortner, Marion and Muggenthaler, Claudia and Diehl-Schmid, Janine and Angermann, Susanne and Hapfelmeier, Alexander and Schmaderer, Christoph and Grimmer, Timo}, title = {Altered neurovascular coupling as measured by optical imaging: a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Cham}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-13349-5}, pages = {1 -- 11}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{LapitanRogatkinPersheyevetal.2018, author = {Lapitan, Denis G. and Rogatkin, Dmitrii A. and Persheyev, Sydulla K. and Kotliar, Konstantin}, title = {False spectra formation in the differential two-channel scheme of the laser Doppler flowmeter}, series = {Biomedizinische Technik}, volume = {63}, journal = {Biomedizinische Technik}, number = {4}, publisher = {De Gruyter}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {0013-5585}, doi = {10.1515/bmt-2017-0060}, pages = {439 -- 444}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Noise in the differential two-channel scheme of a classic laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) instrument was studied. Formation of false spectral components in the output signal due to beating of electrical signals in the differential amplifier was found out. The improved block-diagram of the flowmeter was developed allowing to reduce the noise.}, language = {en} } @article{AlbannaKotliarLuekeetal.2018, author = {Albanna, Walid and Kotliar, Konstantin and L{\"u}ke, Jan Niklas and Alpdogan, Serdar and Conzen, Catharina and Lindauer, Ute and Clusmann, Hans and Hescheler, J{\"u}rgen and Vilser, Walthard and Schneider, Toni and Schubert, Gerrit Alexander}, title = {Non-invasive evaluation of neurovascular coupling in the murine retina by dynamic retinal vessel analysis}, series = {Plos one}, volume = {13}, journal = {Plos one}, number = {10}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0204689}, pages = {e0204689}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Background Impairment of neurovascular coupling (NVC) was recently reported in the context of subarachnoid hemorrhage and may correlate with disease severity and outcome. However, previous techniques to evaluate NVC required invasive procedures. Retinal vessels may represent an alternative option for non-invasive assessment of NVC. Methods A prototype of an adapted retinal vessel analyzer was used to assess retinal vessel diameter in mice. Dynamic vessel analysis (DVA) included an application of monochromatic flicker light impulses in predefined frequencies for evaluating NVC. All retinae were harvested after DVA and electroretinograms were performed. Results A total of 104 retinal scans were conducted in 21 male mice (90 scans). Quantitative arterial recordings were feasible only in a minority of animals, showing an emphasized reaction to flicker light impulses (8 mice; 14 scans). A characteristic venous response to flicker light, however, could observed in the majority of animals. Repeated measurements resulted in a significant decrease of baseline venous diameter (7 mice; 7 scans, p < 0.05). Ex-vivo electroretinograms, performed after in-vivo DVA, demonstrated a significant reduction of transretinal signaling in animals with repeated DVA (n = 6, p < 0.001). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first non-invasive study assessing murine retinal vessel response to flicker light with characteristic changes in NVC. The imaging system can be used for basic research and enables the investigation of retinal vessel dimension and function in control mice and genetically modified animals.}, language = {en} } @article{BalakirskiKotliarPaulyetal.2018, author = {Balakirski, Galina and Kotliar, Konstantin and Pauly, Karolin J. and Krings, Laura K. and R{\"u}bben, Albert and Baron, Jens M. and Schmitt, Laurenz}, title = {Surgical Site Infections After Dermatologic Surgery in Immunocompromised Patients: A Single-Center Experience}, series = {Dermatologic Surgery}, journal = {Dermatologic Surgery}, number = {44 (12)}, publisher = {Wolters Kluwer}, doi = {10.1097/DSS.0000000000001615}, pages = {1525 -- 1536}, year = {2018}, abstract = {BACKGROUND Immunosuppression is often considered as an indication for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections (SSI) while performing skin surgery. However, the data on the risk of developing SSI after dermatologic surgery in immunosuppressed patients are limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients of the Department of Dermatology and Allergology at the University Hospital of RWTH Aachen in Aachen, Germany, who underwent hospitalization for a dermatologic surgery between June 2016 and January 2017 (6 months), were followed up after surgery until completion of the wound healing process. The follow-up addressed the occurrence of SSI and the need for systemic antibiotics after the operative procedure. Immunocompromised patients were compared with immunocompetent patients. The investigation was conducted as a retrospective analysis of patient records. RESULTS The authors performed 284 dermatologic surgeries in 177 patients. Nineteen percent (54/284) of the skin surgery was performed on immunocompromised patients. The most common indications for surgical treatment were nonmelanoma skin cancer and malignant melanomas. Surgical site infections occurred in 6.7\% (19/284) of the cases. In 95\% (18/19), systemic antibiotic treatment was needed. Twenty-one percent of all SSI (4/19) were seen in immunosuppressed patients. CONCLUSION According to the authors' data, immunosuppression does not represent a significant risk factor for SSI after dermatologic surgery. However, larger prospective studies are needed to make specific recommendations on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis while performing skin surgery in these patients. The available data on complications after dermatologic surgery have improved over the past years. Particularly, additional risk factors have been identified for surgical site infections (SSI). Purulent surgical sites, older age, involvement of head, neck, and acral regions, and also the involvement of less experienced surgeons have been reported to increase the risk of the SSI after dermatologic surgeries.1 In general, the incidence of SSI after skin surgery is considered to be low.1,2 However, antibiotics in dermatologic surgeries, especially in the perioperative setting, seem to be overused,3,4 particularly regarding developing antibiotic resistances and side effects. Immunosuppression has been recommended to be taken into consideration as an additional indication for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent SSI after skin surgery in special cases.5,6 However, these recommendations do not specify the exact dermatologic surgeries, and were not specifically developed for dermatologic surgery patients and treatments, but adopted from other surgical fields.6 According to the survey conducted on American College of Mohs Surgery members in 2012, 13\% to 29\% of the surgeons administered antibiotic prophylaxis to immunocompromised patients to prevent SSI while performing dermatologic surgery on noninfected skin,3 although this was not recommended by Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Advisory Statement. Indeed, the data on the risk of developing SSI after dermatologic surgery in immunosuppressed patients are limited. However, it is possible that due to the insufficient evidence on the risk of SSI occurrence in this patient group, dermatologic surgeons tend to overuse perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. To make specific recommendations on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in immunosuppressed patients in the field of skin surgery, more information about the incidence of SSI after dermatologic surgery in these patients is needed. The aim of this study was to fill this data gap by investigating whether there is an increased risk of SSI after skin surgery in immunocompromised patients compared with immunocompetent patients.}, language = {en} } @article{ErmolaevErichevAntonovetal.2019, author = {Ermolaev, AP and Erichev, VP and Antonov, AA and Grigoryan, GL and Kotliar, Konstantin and Levitsky, YV and Hderi, K and Mazurova, YV}, title = {Assessing retinal photosensitivity in patients with central vision impairment using a portable perimeter (a preliminary report)}, series = {Vestnik oftalmologii}, volume = {135}, journal = {Vestnik oftalmologii}, number = {3}, doi = {10.17116/oftalma201913503146}, pages = {46 -- 54}, year = {2019}, language = {ru} } @article{ErmolaevNivokovMelnikovaetal.2018, author = {Ermolaev, A.P. and Nivokov, I.A. and Melnikova, L.I. and Kotliar, Konstantin}, title = {Сравнительная характеристика химического состава витреального содержимого кадаверных глаз и глаз с рефрактерной терминальной глаукомой}, series = {Vestnik oftalmologii}, volume = {5}, journal = {Vestnik oftalmologii}, number = {2}, publisher = {Media Sfera}, address = {Moskau}, doi = {10.17116/oftalma2018134051195}, pages = {195 -- 201}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Purpose — to compare the chemical elemental composition of vitreous cavity content taken from cadaveric eyes compared to samples taken from the eyes with terminal stage refractory glaucoma with decompensated intraocular pressure (IOP). Material and methods. The vitreous contents of the eyes from 2 groups were studied. The 1st group included 15 cadaveric eyes; the 2nd group included 15 eyes with refractory glaucoma in the terminal stage of the disease with decompensated IOP in patients with hypertension pain. The vitreal content samples were taken in the course of antiglaucoma surgery aimed at preserving the eye as an organ and involving employment of drainage in the vitreous cavity. The study of virtual contents was carried out on energy dispersive spectrometer Oxford X-Max 50 integrated into scanning electron microscope Zeiss EVO LS10. Results. Increased concentrations of Kalium and Phosphorus were detected in the vitreous content of cadaveric eyes compared with the vitreal content from the eyes with terminal glaucoma with decompensated IOP taken in vivo (K — 0.172/0.093; P — 0.045/0.025 mmol/L). In the vitreous cavity in the eyes with end-stage glaucoma with decompensated IOP, the concentration of Nitrogen was higher in comparison with human cadaver eyes (2.030/1.424 mmol/L). Conclusion. The increased concentrations of Kalium and Phosphorus in the vitreous content of cadaveric eyes is associated with postmortem autolytic processes and with the release of intracellular content in the destruction of cell membranes. The increased Nitrogen concentration in the vitreal contents of the eyes with terminal stage glaucoma with decompensated IOP may be associated with the presence of osmotically active nitrogen-containing compounds in the eyes with increased IOP.}, language = {ru} } @article{KodomskoiKotliarSchroederetal.2019, author = {Kodomskoi, Leonid and Kotliar, Konstantin and Schr{\"o}der, Andreas and Weiss, Michael and Hille, Konrad}, title = {Suture-Probe Canaloplasty as an Alternative to Canaloplasty using the iTrack™ Microcatheter}, series = {Journal of Glaucoma}, journal = {Journal of Glaucoma}, number = {Epub ahead of print}, publisher = {Lippincott Williams \& Wilkins}, address = {Philadelphia}, issn = {1057-0829}, doi = {10.1097/IJG.0000000000001321}, year = {2019}, language = {en} } @article{LanzlKotliar2017, author = {Lanzl, I. and Kotliar, Konstantin}, title = {K{\"o}nnen Anti-VEGF-Injektionen Glaukom oder okul{\"a}re Hypertension verursachen?}, series = {Klinische Monatsbl{\"a}tter f{\"u}r Augenheilkunde}, volume = {234}, journal = {Klinische Monatsbl{\"a}tter f{\"u}r Augenheilkunde}, number = {2}, publisher = {Thieme}, address = {Stuttgart}, issn = {0023-2165}, doi = {10.1055/s-0043-101819}, pages = {191 -- 193}, year = {2017}, language = {de} } @article{AngermannGuenthnerHanssenetal.2022, author = {Angermann, Susanne and G{\"u}nthner, Roman and Hanssen, Henner and Lorenz, Georg and Braunisch, Matthias C. and Steubl, Dominik and Matschkal, Julia and Kemmner, Stephan and Hausinger, Renate and Block, Zenonas and Haller, Bernhard and Heemann, Uwe and Kotliar, Konstantin and Grimmer, Timo and Schmaderer, Christoph}, title = {Cognitive impairment and microvascular function in end-stage renal disease}, series = {International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research (MPR)}, volume = {31}, journal = {International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research (MPR)}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {1049-8931 (Print)}, doi = {10.1002/mpr.1909}, pages = {1 -- 10}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Objective Hemodialysis patients show an approximately threefold higher prevalence of cognitive impairment compared to the age-matched general population. Impaired microcirculatory function is one of the assumed causes. Dynamic retinal vessel analysis is a quantitative method for measuring neurovascular coupling and microvascular endothelial function. We hypothesize that cognitive impairment is associated with altered microcirculation of retinal vessels. Methods 152 chronic hemodialysis patients underwent cognitive testing using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Retinal microcirculation was assessed by Dynamic Retinal Vessel Analysis, which carries out an examination recording retinal vessels' reaction to a flicker light stimulus under standardized conditions. Results In unadjusted as well as in adjusted linear regression analyses a significant association between the visuospatial executive function domain score of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the maximum arteriolar dilation as response of retinal arterioles to the flicker light stimulation was obtained. Conclusion This is the first study determining retinal microvascular function as surrogate for cerebral microvascular function and cognition in hemodialysis patients. The relationship between impairment in executive function and reduced arteriolar reaction to flicker light stimulation supports the involvement of cerebral small vessel disease as contributing factor for the development of cognitive impairment in this patient population and might be a target for noninvasive disease monitoring and therapeutic intervention.}, language = {en} } @article{KotliarOrtnerConradietal.2022, author = {Kotliar, Konstantin and Ortner, Marion and Conradi, Anna and Hacker, Patricia and Hauser, Christine and G{\"u}nthner, Roman and Moser, Michaela and Muggenthaler, Claudia and Diehl-Schmid, Janine and Priller, Josef and Schmaderer, Christoph and Grimmer, Timo}, title = {Altered retinal cerebral vessel oscillation frequencies in Alzheimer's disease compatible with impaired amyloid clearance}, series = {Neurobiology of Aging}, volume = {120}, journal = {Neurobiology of Aging}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0197-4580}, doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.08.012}, pages = {117 -- 127}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Retinal vessels are similar to cerebral vessels in their structure and function. Moderately low oscillation frequencies of around 0.1 Hz have been reported as the driving force for paravascular drainage in gray matter in mice and are known as the frequencies of lymphatic vessels in humans. We aimed to elucidate whether retinal vessel oscillations are altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the stage of dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Seventeen patients with mild-to-moderate dementia due to AD (ADD); 23 patients with MCI due to AD, and 18 cognitively healthy controls (HC) were examined using Dynamic Retinal Vessel Analyzer. Oscillatory temporal changes of retinal vessel diameters were evaluated using mathematical signal analysis. Especially at moderately low frequencies around 0.1 Hz, arterial oscillations in ADD and MCI significantly prevailed over HC oscillations and correlated with disease severity. The pronounced retinal arterial vasomotion at moderately low frequencies in the ADD and MCI groups would be compatible with the view of a compensatory upregulation of paravascular drainage in AD and strengthen the amyloid clearance hypothesis.}, language = {en} } @article{NeumaierWeissVeldemanetal.2021, author = {Neumaier, Felix and Weiss, Miriam and Veldeman, Michael and Kotliar, Konstantin and Wiesmann, Martin and Schulze-Steinen, Henna and H{\"o}llig, Anke and Clusmann, Hans and Schubert, Gerrit Alexander and Albanna, Walid}, title = {Changes in endogenous daytime melatonin levels after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - preliminary findings from an observational cohort study}, series = {Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery}, volume = {208}, journal = {Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery}, number = {Article No.: 106870}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0303-8467}, doi = {10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106870}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with early and delayed brain injury due to several underlying and interrelated processes, which include inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial, and neuronal apoptosis. Treatment with melatonin, a cytoprotective neurohormone with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects, has been shown to attenuate early brain injury (EBI) and to prevent delayed cerebral vasospasm in experimental aSAH models. Less is known about the role of endogenous melatonin for aSAH outcome and how its production is altered by the pathophysiological cascades initiated during EBI. In the present observational study, we analyzed changes in melatonin levels during the first three weeks after aSAH.}, language = {en} } @article{KuchlerGuenthnerRibeiroetal.2023, author = {Kuchler, Timon and G{\"u}nthner, Roman and Ribeiro, Andrea and Hausinger, Renate and Streese, Lukas and W{\"o}hnl, Anna and Kesseler, Veronika and Negele, Johanna and Assali, Tarek and Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier and Lech, Maciej and Adorjan, Kristina and Stubbe, Hans Christian and Hanssen, Henner and Kotliar, Konstantin and Haller, Berhard and Heemann, Uwe and Schmaderer, Christoph}, title = {Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation}, volume = {26}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Dordrecht}, doi = {10.1007/s10456-023-09885-6}, pages = {547 -- 563}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a lingering disease with ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment resulting in a high impact on the daily life of patients. Understanding the pathophysiology of PCS is a public health priority, as it still poses a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, we analyzed the retinal microcirculation using Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in a cohort of patients with PCS and compared it to an age- and gender-matched healthy cohort (n = 41, matched out of n = 204). Measurements and main results PCS patients exhibit persistent endothelial dysfunction (ED), as indicated by significantly lower venular flicker-induced dilation (vFID; 3.42\% ± 1.77\% vs. 4.64\% ± 2.59\%; p = 0.02), narrower central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE; 178.1 [167.5-190.2] vs. 189.1 [179.4-197.2], p = 0.01) and lower arteriolar-venular ratio (AVR; (0.84 [0.8-0.9] vs. 0.88 [0.8-0.9], p = 0.007). When combining AVR and vFID, predicted scores reached good ability to discriminate groups (area under the curve: 0.75). Higher PCS severity scores correlated with lower AVR (R = - 0.37 p = 0.017). The association of microvascular changes with PCS severity were amplified in PCS patients exhibiting higher levels of inflammatory parameters. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that prolonged endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of PCS, and impairments of the microcirculation seem to explain ongoing symptoms in patients. As potential therapies for PCS emerge, RVA parameters may become relevant as clinical biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy management.}, language = {en} } @article{KuertenKotliarFuestetal.2021, author = {Kuerten, David and Kotliar, Konstantin and Fuest, Matthias and Walter, Peter and Hollstein, Muriel and Plange, Niklas}, title = {Does hemispheric vascular regulation differ significantly in glaucoma patients with altitudinal visual field asymmetry? A single-center, prospective study}, series = {International Ophthalmology}, volume = {41}, journal = {International Ophthalmology}, number = {41}, editor = {Neri, Piergiorgio}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, isbn = {1573-2630}, doi = {10.1007/s10792-021-01876-0}, pages = {3109 -- 3119}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Purpose Vascular risk factors and ocular perfusion are heatedly discussed in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The retinal vessel analyzer (RVA, IMEDOS Systems, Germany) allows noninvasive measurement of retinal vessel regulation. Significant differences especially in the veins between healthy subjects and patients suffering from glaucoma were previously reported. In this pilot-study we investigated if localized vascular regulation is altered in glaucoma patients with altitudinal visual field defect asymmetry. Methods 15 eyes of 12 glaucoma patients with advanced altitudinal visual field defect asymmetry were included. The mean defect was calculated for each hemisphere separately (-20.99 ± 10.49 pro- found hemispheric visual field defect vs -7.36 ± 3.97 dB less profound hemisphere). After pupil dilation, RVA measurements of retinal arteries and veins were conducted using the standard protocol. The superior and inferior retinal vessel reactivity were measured consecutively in each eye. Results Significant differences were recorded in venous vessel constriction after flicker light stimulation and overall amplitude of the reaction (p \ 0.04 and p \ 0.02 respectively) in-between the hemispheres spheres. Vessel reaction was higher in the hemisphere corresponding to the more advanced visual field defect. Arterial diameters reacted similarly, failing to reach statistical significance. Conclusion Localized retinal vessel regulation is significantly altered in glaucoma patients with asymmetri altitudinal visual field defects. Veins supplying the hemisphere concordant to a less profound visual field defect show diminished diameter changes. Vascular dysregulation might be particularly important in early glaucoma stages prior to a significant visual field defect.}, language = {en} } @article{AlbannaConzenWeissetal.2021, author = {Albanna, Walid and Conzen, Catharina and Weiss, Miriam and Seyfried, Katharina and Kotliar, Konstantin and Schmidt, Tobias Philip and Kuerten, David and Hescheler, J{\"u}rgen and Bruecken, Anne and Schmidt-Trucks{\"a}ss, Arno and Neumaier, Felix and Wiesmann, Martin and Clusmann, Hans and Schubert, Gerrit Alexander}, title = {Non-invasive assessment of neurovascular coupling after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a prospective observational trial using retinal vessel analysis}, series = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, number = {12}, issn = {1664-2295}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2021.690183}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a common complication after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and can lead to infarction and poor clinical outcome. The underlying mechanisms are still incompletely understood, but animal models indicate that vasoactive metabolites and inflammatory cytokines produced within the subarachnoid space may progressively impair and partially invert neurovascular coupling (NVC) in the brain. Because cerebral and retinal microvasculature are governed by comparable regulatory mechanisms and may be connected by perivascular pathways, retinal vascular changes are increasingly recognized as a potential surrogate for altered NVC in the brain. Here, we used non-invasive retinal vessel analysis (RVA) to assess microvascular function in aSAH patients at different times after the ictus.}, language = {en} } @incollection{Kotliar2021, author = {Kotliar, Konstantin}, title = {Ocular rigidity: clinical approach}, series = {Ocular Rigidity, Biomechanics and Hydrodynamics of the Eye}, booktitle = {Ocular Rigidity, Biomechanics and Hydrodynamics of the Eye}, editor = {Pallikaris, I. and Tsilimbaris, M. K. and Dastiridou, A. I.}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Cham}, isbn = {978-3-030-64422-2}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-64422-2_2}, pages = {15 -- 43}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The term ocular rigidity is widely used in clinical ophthalmology. Generally it is assumed as a resistance of the whole eyeball to mechanical deformation and relates to biomechanical properties of the eye and its tissues. Basic principles and formulas for clinical tonometry, tonography and pulsatile ocular blood flow measurements are based on the concept of ocular rigidity. There is evidence for altered ocular rigidity in aging, in several eye diseases and after eye surgery. Unfortunately, there is no consensual view on ocular rigidity: it used to make a quite different sense for different people but still the same name. Foremost there is no clear consent between biomechanical engineers and ophthalmologists on the concept. Moreover ocular rigidity is occasionally characterized using various parameters with their different physical dimensions. In contrast to engineering approach, clinical approach to ocular rigidity claims to characterize the total mechanical response of the eyeball to its deformation without any detailed considerations on eye morphology or material properties of its tissues. Further to the previous chapter this section aims to describe clinical approach to ocular rigidity from the perspective of an engineer in an attempt to straighten out this concept, to show its advantages, disadvantages and various applications.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{IomdinaKiselevaKotliaretal.2020, author = {Iomdina, Elena N. and Kiseleva, Anna A. and Kotliar, Konstantin and Luzhnov, Petr V.}, title = {Quantification of Choroidal Blood Flow Using the OCT-A System Based on Voxel Scan Processing}, series = {Proceedings of the International Conference on Biomedical Innovations and Applications- BIA 2020}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on Biomedical Innovations and Applications- BIA 2020}, publisher = {IEEE}, address = {New York, NY}, isbn = {978-1-7281-7073-2}, doi = {10.1109/BIA50171.2020.9244511}, pages = {41 -- 44}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The paper presents a method for the quantitative assessment of choroidal blood flow using an OCT-A system. The developed technique for processing of OCT-A scans is divided into two stages. At the first stage, the identification of the boundaries in the selected portion was performed. At the second stage, each pixel mark on the selected layer was represented as a volume unit, a voxel, which characterizes the region of moving blood. Three geometric shapes were considered to represent the voxel. On the example of one OCT-A scan, this work presents a quantitative assessment of the blood flow index. A possible modification of two-stage algorithm based on voxel scan processing is presented.}, language = {en} } @article{WerfelGuenthnerHapfelmeieretal.2022, author = {Werfel, Stanislas and G{\"u}nthner, Roman and Hapfelmeier, Alexander and Hanssen, Henner and Kotliar, Konstantin and Heemann, Uwe and Schmaderer, Christoph}, title = {Identification of cardiovascular high-risk groups from dynamic retinal vessel signals using untargeted machine learning}, series = {Cardiovascular Research}, volume = {118}, journal = {Cardiovascular Research}, number = {2}, editor = {Guzik, Tomasz J.}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0008-6363}, doi = {10.1093/cvr/cvab040}, pages = {612 -- 621}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Dynamic retinal vessel analysis (DVA) provides a non-invasive way to assess microvascular function in patients and potentially to improve predictions of individual cardiovascular (CV) risk. The aim of our study was to use untargeted machine learning on DVA in order to improve CV mortality prediction and identify corresponding response alterations.}, language = {en} } @article{MalanHamerKaeneletal.2020, author = {Malan, Leone and Hamer, Mark and K{\"a}nel, Roland von and Kotliar, Konstantin and Wyk, Roelof D. van and Lambert, Gavin W. and Vilser, Walthard and Ziemssen, Tjalf and Schlaich, Markus P. and Smith, Wayne and Magnusson, Martin and Wentzel, Annemarie and Myburgh, Carlien E. and Steyn, Hendrik S. and Malan, Nico T.}, title = {Delayed retinal vein recovery responses indicate both non-adaptation to stress as well as increased risk for stroke: the SABPA study}, series = {Cardiovascular Journal of Africa}, volume = {26}, journal = {Cardiovascular Journal of Africa}, number = {31}, publisher = {Clinics Cardive Publishing}, address = {Durbanville}, issn = {1680-0745}, doi = {10.5830/CVJA-2020-031}, pages = {1 -- 12}, year = {2020}, language = {en} }