Abstract. This study investigates retinal changes in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The primary objective is to determine whether SZ is associated with measurable retinal alterations and to evaluate the impact of disease duration and medication use on these changes. A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 17 patients and 17 age- and gender-matched controls (68 eyes). OCT imaging was conducted using the Topcon 3D OCT-1 Maestro 2, focusing on the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), the ganglion cell complex (GCC), and macular thickness. Data analysis revealed no significant retinal changes in the SZ group across most metrics, with the exception of the temporal quadrant of the peripapillary RNFL (pRNFL Temp) and the Macula 3D Center. The study also examined the effects of different classes of medications, but no strong correlations were found between antipsychotic medications and retinal parameters in patients. These findings are preliminary, based on a small patient sample, and require further validation; however, they represent the first study of this kind conducted on a Bulgarian patient population.

Key words: optical coherence tomography, schizophrenia, retinal biomarkers, neurodegenerative diseases

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