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Electrophysiology and colour: a comparison of methods to evaluate inner retinal function

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Abstract

Purpose

Several methods are routinely used in the clinic to diagnose and monitor diseases of inner retinal function. In this study, we compare four such methods in patients with diabetes and glaucoma, to determine correlations between their results and to determine which method is most sensitive for detecting disease.

Methods

Twenty control subjects, 12 patients with early glaucoma and eight patients with diabetes mellitus, were enrolled in the study. All underwent four examinations: transient pattern electroretinogram (PERG), multifocal pattern electroretinogram (mfPERG), chromatic contrast threshold measurements (protan and tritan), and blue-on-yellow short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP).

Results

For the total cohort of 40 subjects, the results show a significant correlation between the amplitudes of the PERG and those of the mfPERG, as well as between the tritan contrast thresholds and the SWAP MD. Furthermore, ROC analyses reveal that colour contrast thresholds could significantly distinguish between the patient and the control group. Glaucoma patients alone could also be distinguished.

Conclusions

We conclude that the methods compared in this study show correlations between their results if they are testing same pathway or underling cells, and that the colour contrast threshold is the most sensitive method to detect early functional deficits in diabetic and glaucoma patients.

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Acknowledgments

The German Academic Exchange Service provided funding in the form of grant funding to HL. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    A. Kurtenbach, C. Kernstock & E. Zrenner

  2. Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    E. Zrenner

  3. University Eye Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    H. Langrová

Authors
  1. A. Kurtenbach
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  2. C. Kernstock
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  3. E. Zrenner
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  4. H. Langrová
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Kurtenbach.

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Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Statements of human rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Statement on the welfare of animals

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kurtenbach, A., Kernstock, C., Zrenner, E. et al. Electrophysiology and colour: a comparison of methods to evaluate inner retinal function. Doc Ophthalmol 131, 159–167 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-015-9512-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-015-9512-z

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