Structure-Function Relationship of Retinal Ganglion Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Neurology

Background:

• Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are accessible indicators of neurological disease progression.
• RGC damage is observed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with or without a history of optic neuritis (HON/NON).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and correlate functional and structural RGC damage in various retinal layers and locations.
• To investigate RGC damage in MS patients with and without optic neuritis history.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 12 NON patients, 11 HON patients, and 14 healthy controls.
• Multifocal pattern electroretinography (mfPERG) to assess RGC function (amplitude, peak times).
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure macular retinal layer and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness.

Main Results:

• Reduced foveal N2 amplitude in mfPERG for both HON and NON patients compared to controls.
• Significantly reduced parafoveal P1 peak time in HON patients only.
• Decreased parafoveal (pfGCL) and perifoveal (pGCL) ganglion cell layer thickness in HON patients.
• Reduced pRNFL thickness in the papillomacular bundle sector (PMB) for both NON and HON patients.

Conclusions:

• Foveal axonal dysfunction is present in MS patients, irrespective of optic neuritis history.
• RGC damage is a detectable pathophysiological feature in multiple sclerosis, affecting both functional and structural parameters.
• OCT and mfPERG are valuable tools for detecting early RGC damage in neurological diseases like MS.