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STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL CORRELATION IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA.
Magdalena Edington1, Amun Sachdev, Rupal Morjaria
1*Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom; †Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom; and ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Diabetic macular edema (DME) patients with good visual acuity often have slow reading speeds. Central four retinal points on microperimetry (MP4) offer a faster, reliable method for assessing visual function in DME compared to reading speed.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Diseases
- Visual Function Assessment
Background:
- Diabetic macular edema (DME) can impair visual function even with relatively good visual acuity.
- Reading speed is a functional measure affected by various factors in DME patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the structural-functional correlation in patients with DME.
- To assess if central four retinal points on microperimetry (MP4) is a superior functional assessment tool for DME compared to reading speed.
Main Methods:
- Clinically significant DME patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) testing, maximal reading speed (MRS) assessment, and retinal sensitivity measurements (MP28 and MP4).
- Central subfield thickness was measured using Spectral Domain Optical Coherent Topography.
Main Results:
- Maximal reading speed (MRS) correlated with younger age, better BCVA, and better retinal sensitivity (MP28 and MP4), but not central subfield thickness.
- Central subfield thickness correlated with MP28 but not age, BCVA, or MP4.
- After adjusting for age and BCVA, MRS remained correlated with MP28 and MP4.
Conclusions:
- Reduced reading speed can occur in DME patients despite good visual acuity.
- Central four retinal points on microperimetry (MP4) are quick, easy to perform, and highly correlated with MRS.
- Microperimetry (MP4) may be a more effective tool than BCVA or reading speed for quantifying visual function in DME.
