Relationship between Visual Dysfunction and Retinal Changes in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Visual dysfunction is a common symptom in MS, impacting quality of life.
• Retinal structural changes may precede or accompany neurological deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate retinal structural changes in MS patients using SD-OCT.
• To correlate these structural changes with various visual functions.
• To identify potential biomarkers for visual impairment in MS.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-four MS patients and 84 healthy controls underwent SD-OCT for retinal nerve fiber layer, macular, and ganglion cell layer thickness.
• Visual acuity (high/low contrast), color vision, and contrast sensitivity were assessed.
• Statistical analysis correlated structural and functional measurements.

Main Results:

• MS patients exhibited significant thinning of the macular, retinal nerve fiber layer, and ganglion cell layer compared to controls.
• Reduced high- and low-contrast visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were observed in MS patients.
• Retinal measurements correlated significantly with visual function tests; contrast sensitivity showed the strongest correlation with ganglion cell layer thickness.

Conclusions:

• SD-OCT reveals structural retinal changes in MS patients that correlate with visual dysfunction.
• Macular and ganglion cell layer thickness are potential indicators of visual impairment in MS.
• These findings support SD-OCT as a valuable tool for monitoring MS progression and visual health.