title: Evaluation of patient suitability for a retinal prosthesis using structural and functional tests of inner retinal integrity.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess inner retinal structure and function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the retina, and electrical stimulation of the retina with a contact lens electrode. OCT images of 17 RP patients were acquired at the macula and at four quadrants of the peripheral retina in both eyes. Analysis was made of the residual inner retinal thickness and nerve fibre layer thickness in RP patients, and this was compared to normal controls. Eight of these patients further underwent contact lens electrical stimulation of one eye and thresholds for phosphene perception were obtained. OCT imaging showed a significant amount of inner retinal preservation in the peripheral retina and the macula of RP patients despite severe visual acuity and visual field loss. Phosphene thresholds were obtained across the range of pulse durations tested but were much higher than those obtained in normal controls. Phosphene thresholds in RP patients moderately correlated with inner retinal thicknesses as measured by OCT. Preservation of inner retinal structure in patients with RP and the responsiveness of these eyes to electrical stimulation suggest adequate inner retinal preservation for a retinal prosthesis to be successful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Prince of Wales Hospital Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Qiuhen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Minas Theodore
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Coroneo
mesh_terms: D004056:Differential Threshold; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D010719:Phosphenes; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D012160:Retina / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation