New retinal test will provide more information about retinal disease

New research published in The FASEB Journal details a test developed using mice that can help measure two important aspects of retinal health--the function of retinal blood vessels and light-detecting cells. This approach opens new possibilities for understanding the molecular changes that occur in retinal disease and for evaluating the benefits of treatment early in the course of disease.


The authors believe these findings will enhance and speed decisions about treatment in patients with specific diseases of the eye, which may, in turn, slow the progression of such diseases and help save sight in patients.

To make this advance, Bruce Berkowitz and colleagues from the Department of Anatomy/Cell Biology/Ophthalmology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, used a new form of magnetic resonance imaging to take two pictures of the retina, one in the dark and one in the light. By comparing these two pictures, researchers were able to see that the front of the retina behaved differently from the back of the retina. This suggested that this different behavior to light and dark was due to changes in blood flow in the front of the retina and photoreceptor metabolism in the back of the retina. These results were confirmed by comparing normal mice to mice whose retina was genetically altered.

The earlier the eye problems are noticed, the better it is, even for those with deteriorating conditions for which there is no known cure. This new technique will permit eye doctors to see two aspects of normal vision in one image: blood flow and light perception.

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