Retinal sensitivity is reduced in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a systemic condition linked to various health issues.
• The ocular manifestations of OSA are increasingly recognized, but visual field deficits require further investigation.
• Standard automated perimetry (SAP) is a key tool for assessing visual field sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the visual field outcomes of standard automated perimetry (SAP) in patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• To determine the correlation between OSA severity and visual field parameters measured by SAP.
• To compare retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) between OSA patients and controls.

Main Methods:

• Eighty OSA patients and 111 age-matched controls underwent SAP (24-2 SITA Standard algorithm).
• Peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured using spectral-domain OCT.
• OSA patients were stratified by apnea/hypopnea index (AHI); correlations between AHI and SAP/OCT parameters were analyzed.

Main Results:

• OSA patients demonstrated significantly reduced mean deviation on SAP compared to controls (P < 0.001).
• Reduced retinal sensitivity was observed across most tested points in OSA patients, particularly in the peripheral visual field.
• The apnea/hypopnea index showed significant correlations with SAP indices, including mean deviation, pattern standard deviation, and visual field index (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Patients with obstructive sleep apnea exhibit objectively reduced retinal sensitivity as measured by standard automated perimetry.
• These visual field deficits correlate with the severity of OSA, suggesting a link between systemic sleep disorder and visual function.
• RNFL thickness did not differ significantly, but SAP findings highlight potential ocular consequences of OSA.