| Summary: | Abstract The optic nerve head (ONH) is the intraocular part of the optic nerve, while the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is the expansion of the optic nerve fibers at the fundus of the eye. The evaluation of these structures is essential in diagnosing various ophthalmological diseases. However, the variance in their appearance is broad, which can make it difficult to distinguish a healthy structure from a pathological one. The aim of this dissertation is to explore factors that may affect the morphology of the ONH and the RNFL in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC): perinatal factors, physiological and anatomical factors, and cognition. We used the data from the long-term NFBC and more recent NFBC Eye Study for the analyses. The Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) 3 was used to measure ONH morphology, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) was employed to measure the average peripapillary RNFL thickness. We used paired associates learning (PAL) test, grade point average (GPA), level of education, and standard automated perimetry (SAP) as surrogates for cognition. For perinatal factors, we explored the data for maternal illness, medication, smoking, physiological and newborn measurements. In addition, anatomical measurements of the body, eye, and blood pressure were performed for subjects aged 45–49 years. Neuroretinal rim volume was correlated with faster SAP performance, fewer errors in the PAL test, and a higher GPA. A thicker RNFL was correlated with faster performance in the SAP. Maternal chronic pulmonary disease and highest systolic blood pressure (SBP), weeks of gestation, and birth length all affected ONH morphology. Notably, the disc area substantially affected the other parameters of ONH morphology and the RNFL. The effects of other ocular, anatomical, and physiological factors were weak. Although we found many statistically significant correlations, most were of limited predictive value. The optic nerve head seems to be well protected during pregnancy. Greater RNFL thickness, disc area, or rim ...
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