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Foveal sensitivity changes in retinitis pigmentosa.

V Greenstein, D C Hood, R E Carr

|May 11, 2010

Summary

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients

Area of Science:

Ophthalmology
Neuroscience
Genetics

Background:

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited condition causing progressive vision loss.
Foveal sensitivity loss in RP is often attributed to reduced quantal catching ability.
Previous studies under light-adapted conditions did not support this hypothesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the quantal catch hypothesis in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients.
To evaluate foveal sensitivity in RP patients under dark-adapted conditions.
To further test the quantal catch hypothesis using psychophysical methods.

Main Methods:

Utilized a psychophysical probe-flash paradigm.
Examined twelve retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients.

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Assessed probe thresholds under dark-adapted conditions.

Main Results:

Five out of twelve RP patients exhibited normal probe thresholds.
Seven out of twelve RP patients showed increased probe thresholds.
The decreased quantal catching hypothesis was rejected for six of the seven patients with increased thresholds.

Conclusions:

The findings challenge the quantal catch hypothesis as the sole explanation for foveal sensitivity loss in RP.
Dark-adapted psychophysical testing provides further evidence against the quantal catch hypothesis in a subset of RP patients.
Alternative mechanisms may contribute to vision impairment in retinitis pigmentosa.