Abstract
Purpose :
Office-base electrophysiological testing has the potential to provide convenient and objective evaluations of retinal function, but its clinical value is as yet unproven. The aim of this study was to determine if the electrophysiological parameters measured with a new office-based Pattern Electroretinography (PERG) device differ between eyes with and without diabetic retinopathy.(DR)
Methods :
This was a prospective case control pilot study. Adult diabetic subjects with moderate non-proliferative DR (NPDR) were compared with control subjects without DR. DR was assessed from standardised fundus photographs using the modified Airlie House classification system. The steady-state PERGs were recorded using the Diopsys NOVA (Diopsys Inc., NJ, USA) system using the Contrast Sensitivity High Contrast (HC) and Low Contrast (LC) protocols to obtain the response Magnitude (Mag), MagnitudeD (MagD) and MagnitudeD/Magnitude Ratios (MagRatio).
Results :
There were 12 subjects with moderate NPDR and 20 subjects without DR. The mean age of the whole cohort was 58.2±7.7 years, 47% were male and the majority were of Chinese ethnicity (81%). The cases and controls did not differ significantly in mean age or racial distribution, but there was a higher proportion of male subjects amongst the cases (75%) compared to controls (30%). In univariate analyses, the mean HC Mag amplitudes were lower in eyes with DR compared to controls (mean HC Mag 1.04 ± standard deviation 0.30 vs. 1.34±0.50, respectively; p = 0.009). The mean LC Mag amplitudes were lower in eyes with DR compared to controls (mean LC Mag 0.90±0.27 vs. 1.15±0.29, respectively; p = 0.001). The mean LC MagD amplitudes were lower in eyes with DR compared to controls (mean LC MagD 0.53±0.30 vs. 0.79±0.41, respectively; p = 0.001). These associations persisted in multivariate analyses adjusting for age, sex, race, and mean arterial blood pressure (p = 0.01, p = 0.001 and p = 0.01 for HC Mag, LC Mag and LC MagD, respectively).
Conclusions :
Eyes with moderate DR show lower PERG amplitudes compared to eyes without DR using a new office based PERG device. Further study can help to refine the clinical indications for the use of this device in the diagnosis and management of DR.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.