Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
12:23
Dynamic Visual Tests to Identify and Quantify Visual Damage and Repair Following Demyelination in Optic Neuritis Patients
Published on: April 14, 2014
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity in multiple sclerosis
Harold Merle1, Stephane Olindo, Angelique Donnio
1Service d' Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort de France, Martinique, France. harold.merle@chu-fortdefrance.fr
European Journal of Ophthalmology
|November 3, 2009
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with visual function changes, even without optic neuropathy (ON). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) reveals subclinical optic nerve damage, correlating with visual function tests in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can affect visual pathways, leading to optic neuropathy (ON).
- Assessing subclinical visual dysfunction is crucial for understanding MS progression and treatment efficacy.
- Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and contrast sensitivity are key indicators of optic nerve health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure peripapillary RNFL thickness and contrast sensitivity in MS patients.
- To evaluate the impact of a history of ON on these visual parameters.
- To explore the correlation between anatomical RNFL measures and functional visual assessments in MS.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 30 relapsing-remitting MS patients (60 eyes).
- Eyes were categorized into MS with ON history (MS ON) and MS without ON history (MS non-ON).
- RNFL thickness measured by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT); spatial contrast sensitivity by Pelli-Robson and Sloan charts; temporal contrast sensitivity by Frequency Doubling Technology Perimetry (FDTP).
Main Results:
- Average RNFL thickness was reduced in MS patients compared to controls (MS: 88.2 ± 18.9 µm; MS ON: 80.81 ± 18.4 µm; MS non-ON: 96.7 ± 15.8 µm; Control: 106 ± 12.2 µm).
- MS non-ON group showed deficits in spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity compared to controls.
- RNFL thickness significantly correlated with both spatial and temporal contrast vision scores.
Conclusions:
- Visual function alterations occur in MS even without a history of acute ON.
- OCT is valuable for detecting subclinical optic nerve involvement in MS.
- Combining OCT with visual function tests aids in evaluating therapeutic interventions for MS-related visual impairment.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...