Schizophrenia is a major mental illness affecting 1 in 300 people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2001). Neurodegeneration resulting from multiple factors such as neuroinflammation, dopamine blockade, and environmental factors have all been implicated as an important pathophysiological mechanism contributing to the development of schizophrenia (Stone et al., 2022). Neuro degeneration often presents as structural changes in the brain, which are subtle and conventional neuroimaging techniques, like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), have limited sensitivity in picking up these changes, especially in the early stages of the disease (Du et al., 2024).

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging technique that can rapidly reveal high-resolution retinal structures. Multiple studies have found it helpful in identifying retinal layer thinning in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease (Silverstein et al., 2020).

OCT may be a useful tool in studying degenerative changes in the retina, which can, in turn, indicate underlying changes in the CNS. Detection of neurodegeneration or inflammatory changes indicative of CNS involvement can be a valuable biomarker for early detection and optimal intervention in neuropsychiatric conditions like schizophrenia.