Longitudinal study of retinal degeneration in a rat using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Rodent models of retinal degenerative diseases are used by vision scientists to develop therapies and to understand mechanisms of disease progression. Measurement of changes to the thickness of the various retinal layers provides an objective metric to evaluate the performance of the therapy. Because invasive histology is terminal and provides only a single data point, non-invasive imaging modalities are required to better study progression, and to reduce the number of animals used in research. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has emerged as a dominant imaging modality for human ophthalmic imaging, but has only recently gained significant attention for rodent retinal imaging. OCT provides cross section images of retina with micron-scale resolution which permits measurement of the retinal layer thickness. However, in order to be useful to vision scientists, a significant fraction of the retinal surface needs to be measured. In addition, because the retinal thickness normally varies as a function of distance from optic nerve head, it is critical to sample all regions of the retina in a systematic fashion. We present a longitudinal study of OCT to measure retinal degeneration in rats which have undergone optic nerve axotomy, a well characterized form of rapid retinal degeneration. Volumetric images of the retina acquired with OCT in a time course study were segmented in 2D using a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm. Then, using a 3D algorithm, thickness measurements were quantified across the surface of the retina for all volume segmentations. The resulting maps of the changes to retinal thickness over time represent the progression of degeneration across the surface of the retina during injury. The computational tools complement OCT retinal volumetric acquisition, resulting in a powerful tool for vision scientists working with rodents.