Relationship Between Flicker Modulation Sensitivity and Retinal Ganglion Cell Related Layer Thicknesses

Purpose: Early detection of structural changes in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and corresponding changes in visual function is important in early degenerative diseases of the retina, but the sensitivity of both measurements is limited by the inherent variability in healthy subjects. This study inve...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pérez Carrasco, María Jesús, Carballo Álvarez, Jesús, Barbur, John L., Puell Marín, María Cinta
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/4511
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/4511
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:617.735-073
617.735-003
611.843
612.843.1
Flicker sensitivity
Temporal contrast sensitivity
Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL)
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Retinal thickness
Oftalmología
Optometría
Anatomía ocular
3201.09 Oftalmología
2209.15 Optometría
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: Early detection of structural changes in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and corresponding changes in visual function is important in early degenerative diseases of the retina, but the sensitivity of both measurements is limited by the inherent variability in healthy subjects. This study investigates the relationships between RGC-related layer thicknesses and foveal and parafoveal flicker modulation sensitivity (FMS) across photopic and mesopic light levels in healthy subjects. Methods: Photopic and mesopic FMS was measured in 56 young adults, at the point of fixation and at an eccentricity of 5 degrees, in each of the four quadrants. Spectraldomain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used to measure retinal thicknesses. Relationships between foveal and parafoveal FMS and the retinal thickness in the corresponding region were examined after adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Total macular and inner retinal layer (IRL) thicknesses in the parafoveal ring were significant predictors of photopic (P = 0.034) and mesopic (P = 0.034) parafoveal FMS, respectively. The superior peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness was a contributing factor to the inferior parafoveal FMS (photopic: P = 0.006 and mesopic: P = 0.021) and the inferior pRNFL thickness was also a contributing factor to the superior parafoveal FMS (photopic: P < 0.001 and mesopic: P = 0.015). Conclusions: The pRNFL thicknesses predict parafoveal FMS for both mesopic and photopic conditions in healthy eyes. Translational Relevance: Themeasurement of rapid flicker sensitivity in the parafoveal retina together with the pRNFL thickness profiles measured before the onset of disease, may provide a more sensitive biomarker for detecting loss of sensitivity caused by the earliest neurodegenerative changes in the eyes.