Structure-Function Associations Between Quantitative Contrast Sensitivity Function And Peripapillary Optical...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Diabetic Retinopathy Research
• Microvascular Imaging

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision impairment.
• Understanding microvascular changes in the retina is crucial for managing DR.
• Radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC) are vital for retinal function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in RPC microvasculature.
• To determine the impact of these changes on visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity.
• To correlate microvascular changes with DR severity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 96 eyes across control, diabetes without DR (DMnoDR), nonproliferative DR (NPDR), and proliferative DR (PDR) groups.
• Quantitative contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) and OCT angiography (OCTA) of the optic disc were performed.
• RPC microvasculature density, capillary flux index (CFI), and RNFL thickness were analyzed using the ARI Network algorithm.

Main Results:

• RPC capillary perfusion density decreased with increasing DR severity, notably even in DMnoDR patients.
• Proliferative DR (PDR) showed significantly lower CFI and RNFL thickness compared to NPDR.
• CFI was significantly associated with qCSF across various spatial frequencies, but not with VA.

Conclusions:

• RPC perfusion density declines with diabetes onset and DR progression.
• CFI is more affected in later stages of DR.
• DR-related peripapillary microvascular changes correlate more strongly with contrast sensitivity than visual acuity.