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Visual function and retinal thickness in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Lakshmi Bodduluri1, Stephen J Dain1, Shihab Hameed2
1School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Clinical & Experimental Optometry
|January 4, 2024
Summary
Children with type 1 diabetes show elevated blue-yellow visual thresholds and increased retinal thickness, indicating potential early predictors for diabetic retinopathy risk. These visual and retinal changes may precede visible fundus alterations.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Diabetology
- Visual Science
Background:
- Previous studies on contrast sensitivity in early diabetes yielded mixed results, potentially due to methodological limitations.
- Early detection of diabetic retinopathy risk in children is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate color and contrast visual thresholds and retinal thickness in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- To compare these measures against age-matched healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study involving 49 children with type 1 diabetes and 49 controls (ages 9-14).
- Measurement of red-green, blue-yellow, and achromatic luminance contrast thresholds.
- Optical coherence tomography for retinal thickness and fundus photography for diabetic retinopathy grading.
Main Results:
- Children with diabetes exhibited significantly higher blue-yellow thresholds and increased total and inner retinal thickness compared to controls.
- Poorer visual function and systemic health correlated with thinner retinal structures and greater ganglion cell complex loss in diabetic children.
- No diabetic retinopathy was observed in any participants.
Conclusions:
- Elevated blue-yellow visual thresholds and altered retinal thickness are present in children with type 1 diabetes, even without retinopathy.
- These findings suggest that visual and retinal measures may serve as early predictors of heightened diabetic retinopathy risk in pediatric populations.
