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Updated: May 6, 2026
Measurement of Carotenoids in Perifovea using the Macular Pigment Reflectometer
Published on: January 29, 2020
Reflection-based imaging of macular pigment distributions in infants and children
Mohsen Sharifzadeh1, Paul S Bernstein, Werner Gellermann
1University of Utah, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
Insights
Researchers developed a new method to measure macular pigment in children using the RetCam(®) platform. This innovation allows direct measurement of macular pigment levels and spatial distribution in the developing human retina.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Macular pigment plays a crucial role in retinal health.
- Accurate measurement of macular pigment in infants and children is challenging.
- Existing methods are not suitable for direct measurement in the developing human retina.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reflection-based method for measuring macular pigment levels and spatial distribution in pediatric populations.
- To adapt the RetCam(®) platform for quantitative macular pigment assessment in infants and children.
- To investigate the characteristics of macular pigment distribution in the developing human retina.
Main Methods:
- Modification of the FDA-cleared RetCam(®) pediatric retinal imager for reflection-based measurements.
- Utilizing narrow-band blue-wavelength excitation and spectrally selective readout.
- Development of an algorithm to compute optical density maps of macular pigment relative to peripheral retinal areas.
Main Results:
- Successful development of a method for direct measurement of macular pigment levels and spatial features in the developing human retina.
- Demonstration of measurable macular pigment in infants, often with a narrow, circularly symmetric distribution, unlike adults.
- Quantitative optical density maps of macular pigment were generated.
Conclusions:
- The novel reflection-based methodology enables direct measurement of macular pigment in infants and children for the first time.
- Infant macular pigment distribution differs from adults, characterized by a more concentrated, symmetric pattern.
- This technique holds significant potential for studying the role of macular pigment in pediatric eye health and evaluating dietary interventions.
Abstract:
We have developed a reflection-based capability of the RetCam(®) platform, an FDA-cleared pediatric retinal-imaging instrument, for the purpose of measuring macular pigment levels as well as their spatial distributions in infants and children. Our modifications include narrow-band blue-wavelength excitation of the macular pigment absorption in combination with spectrally selective blue-wavelength readout of the reflection signals received by the instrument's CCD detector array. Furthermore, an algorithm is developed that allows the computation of optical density maps for the macular pigment relative to peripheral retinal areas. This made it possible for the first time to directly measure macular pigment levels and their spatial features in the developing human retina. In contrast to adults, infants with measurable pigment levels had almost exclusively a narrow, circularly symmetric, pigment distribution. The described methodology holds promise for future investigations into the role of macular pigment in the developing human retina and the effect of dietary interventions in diseases resulting from a lack of normal carotenoid levels.
