Macular dysfunction in drusen maculopathy assessed with multifocal electroretinogram and optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Drusen maculopathy is characterized by the accumulation of yellowish deposits under the retina.
• Assessing macular function and its correlation with morphological changes is crucial for understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between macular function, measured by multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG), and morphological changes observed via optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus photography in drusen maculopathy.
• To compare mfERG and imaging findings in patients with drusen maculopathy to healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• mfERG (103 hexagons) and OCT imaging were performed on 10 patients with drusen maculopathy and 15 healthy controls.
• Drusen density was quantified in nine retinal areas corresponding to OCT map regions.
• Macular function was assessed by analyzing mfERG implicit time and amplitude.

Main Results:

• Patients with drusen maculopathy exhibited prolonged mfERG implicit time and reduced foveal amplitude compared to controls (P=0.006 and P=0.03, respectively).
• No significant differences in mfERG responses were found between areas with and without drusen within the maculopathy group.
• No correlation was observed between retinal thickness measured by OCT and mfERG responses.

Conclusions:

• mfERG effectively detected functional deficits in the macula of patients with drusen maculopathy.
• Drusen appear to be associated with a generalized impairment of macular function, independent of localized drusen presence or retinal thickness.