Abstract
Purpose :
MP has been used as strong disgnostic tool in several eye diseases. nevertheless its complexity there are functional parameters that are very helpful in evaluating clinical conditions as fixation, scotometry and retinal sensitivity. Reaction time is idefinited as the interval recorded by the device from stimulus presentation and patient's answer. Our goal is tho understand if there are relationships between RT and retinal localization of the stimulus and if this may be as early marker of the disease.
Methods :
Using MP3 (Nidek Co. Jpn) mean RT was evaluated in msec. in different retinal areas, 12 points in central 5° area, and 40 point in perpheral retina between 15-20°, tests were performed starting from 0 dB every 10dB, with 31.4 asb background luminance and Goldmann III stimulus (reference value for Humfries), with presentation seen/not seen screening strategy. Were tested 7 healthy subjects and 5 patients with soft drusen (sized >63microns). No statistical differences were found between two groups for age, sex composition and visual acuity.
Results :
Average RT value for central area was 549ms. (SD±136ms) for group A while average RT for Group B was 837ms (SD±255ms) differences were statistically significant (p=0.007). RT value for peripheral area was 1003ms. (SD±74ms) for group A while peripheric average RT for Group B was 981ms (SD± 95ms) differences were not significant (p=0.081). Our data underlines that patients in group B patients presented a better performance at higher luminance.
Conclusions :
Our interesting data, show very clear difference in central area between healthy people and those presented small soft drusen, this outcome may be due to an irregular intraretinal signaling or neurotransmission as speculated by Curcio, there is a topographic correlation between drusen, cones and rods, that realized exchange pathways among outer retinal cells and across Bruch's membrane and the subretinal space, in service of highly evolved, eye-specific physiology that can slower in these zones retino-cerebral reaction time. In peripheral area soft drusen are ususally more rare due to a slower methabolic speed. Obviously this is a preliminary report of new approach to microperimetry and our intent is to add a new approach to early disease diagnostics with the aim to intercept individuals in which retinal damage may go wider in a short time so that would be possible to start a more efficient treatment.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.