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Macular function in preterm children at school age
Hanna Åkerblom1, Sten Andreasson2, Gerd Holmström3
1Department of Neuroscience/Ophthalmology, Uppsala University, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden. hannamcarlsson@hotmail.com.
Insights
Macular function is reduced in former preterm children, indicating that structural changes may explain their visual dysfunction. This study used multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and optical coherent tomography (OCT) to assess preterm children
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Macular development is a critical process extending from mid-gestation through early childhood.
- Preterm birth can disrupt normal macular development, potentially leading to structural alterations like increased central macular thickness.
- The functional consequences of these structural changes in the macula of preterm infants remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate macular function in former preterm children using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG).
- To compare macular function between former preterm children and healthy, full-term controls.
- To explore the correlation between central macular thickness (measured by OCT) and macular function in preterm children.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 15 former preterm children (born before 32 weeks gestation) and 12 healthy controls were recruited.
- Standardized visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) were performed on all participants.
- Optical coherent tomography (OCT) was utilized to measure central macular thickness specifically in the preterm group.
Main Results:
- Former preterm children exhibited significantly reduced P1 amplitudes in Rings 1-5 and the "Sum of groups" of the mfERG compared to controls.
- No significant correlation was found between P1 amplitude or implicit times in Ring 1 and central macular thickness within the preterm group.
Conclusions:
- Macular function is demonstrably reduced in children with a history of preterm birth compared to their term-born peers.
- These functional deficits suggest that structural alterations, such as increased retinal thickness, may contribute to visual dysfunction observed in school-aged preterm children.
- The findings highlight the potential long-term impact of preterm birth on visual development and function.
Purpose:
Macular development is a complex process that starts by mid-gestation and continues several years after birth. A preterm birth could affect this development, causing increased thickness in the central macula, but the effect of the macular function remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the macular function measured with multifocal electroretinography (mfERG), in former preterm children and compare with healthy controls. A second aim was to correlate central macular function with central macular thickness measured with optical coherent tomography (OCT), in the preterm group.
Methods:
Fifteen former preterm children born before 32 weeks of gestation were included in the study. MfERG results from 12 children acted as controls. Visual acuity, refraction in cycloplegia and mfERG were carried out in all children, and optical coherent tomography (OCT) was performed in the preterm children. Main outcomes were P1 amplitudes and implicit times for Rings 1-5 and "sum of groups" of the mfERG, and central macula thickness in area A1 measured with OCT.
Results:
The P1 amplitudes were reduced in Rings 1-5 and "Sum of groups" in the preterm children compared to controls. There were no significant correlation between P1 amplitude or implicit times in Ring 1 and central macular thickness in the preterm group.
Conclusions:
Macular function is reduced in former preterm children compared to children born at term. This suggests that the structural changes with a thicker central retina can have an effect on function and may be one, of probably several, explanations for visual dysfunction in preterm children at school age.
