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Color vision and neuroretinal function in diabetes.
B E Wolff1, M A Bearse, M E Schneck
1School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2020, USA, bewolff1@berkeley.edu.
Documenta Ophthalmologica. Advances in Ophthalmology
|December 18, 2014
Summary
Color vision (CV) is impaired in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients, even without diabetic retinopathy (DR). While mfERG implicit time (IT) is less affected, CV and IT abnormalities correlate when DR is present.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Diabetology
- Visual Neuroscience
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a systemic disease with significant ocular complications.
- Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of vision loss in T2DM patients.
- The impact of T2DM and DR on color vision (CV) and electrophysiological measures like mfERG implicit time (IT) requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of T2DM and DR on CV and mfERG IT.
- To determine the correlation between CV and IT abnormalities.
- To assess the agreement between CV and IT abnormality classifications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Adams desaturated D-15 test, mfERG, and fundus photography.
- Compared 37 controls, 22 T2DM patients without DR (NoRet), and 25 T2DM patients with DR (Ret).
- Calculated Color Confusion Score (CCS) and averaged mfERG implicit times (IT) for central and peripheral retinal zones.
Main Results:
- Color Confusion Score (CCS) was significantly higher in both NoRet and Ret groups compared to controls.
- Abnormalities in CCS were observed in 41% of NoRet and 48% of Ret eyes, versus 3% in controls.
- CV abnormalities were more frequent with central DR (DRIN) than peripheral DR (DROUT) (71% vs. 18%).
- Correlation between CCS and IT was found only in the Ret group (P ≤ 0.028).
- Agreement between CCS and peripheral IT abnormality classification was significant only in the Ret group (72%, P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Color vision is demonstrably affected in T2DM patients, irrespective of DR presence.
- Central DR significantly increases the likelihood of color vision deficits compared to non-central DR.
- mfERG IT is less frequently abnormal than CV in T2DM without DR; correlation emerges only with DR presence.
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