Dynamics of retinal vessel response to flicker light in glaucoma patients and ocular hypertensives.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze dynamics of retinal vessel dilation response to flicker light in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension.


METHODS
Response to flicker light was measured in retinal vessels by means of Retinal Vessel Analyzer. After the baseline 50 seconds long diameter recording of inferior and superior temporal artery and vein, three flicker stimulations of 20 seconds duration was applied, with a 80 seconds break in between. Area under the curve of the vessel diameter (AUC) was compared during 3 flicker periods in the open angle glaucoma patients group (POAG, n = 47) and ocular hypertensives (OHT, n = 46) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 56)


RESULTS
POAG eyes demonstrated smaller response of all vessels to flicker light in general than the other two groups (p = 0.0008), but the response dynamics was significantly different between the groups (p = 0.038), showing in three flicker periods a delayed increasing response in the POAG and OHT groups, and remaining stable in healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
General vessel response to flicker light was decreased in POAG patients despite the slow improvement in repeated flicker stimulation, indicating an altered response pattern.
Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital Basel, Mittlerestr. 91, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. gugletak@uhbs.ch
K
K
Gugleta
A
A
Kochkorov
N
N
Waldmann
A
A
Polunina
R
R
Katamay
J
J
Flammer
S
S
Orgul
D019540:Area Under Curve; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000503:physiopathology