title: Corneal sensitivity is related to established measures of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to investigate the association between corneal sensitivity and established measures of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneal sensitivity was measured in 93 individuals with diabetes, 146 diabetic individuals without neuropathy and 61 control individuals without diabetes or neuropathy using a non-contact corneal aesthesiometer at the baseline visit of a five-year longitudinal natural history study of DPN. The correlation between corneal sensitivity and established measures of neuropathy was estimated and multi-dimensional scaling was used to represent similarities and dissimilarities between variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The corneal sensitivity threshold was significantly correlated with a majority of established measures of DPN. Correlation coefficients ranged from -0.32 to 0.26. Using multi-dimensional scaling, non-contact corneal aesthesiometry was closer to the neuropathy disability score, diabetic neuropathy symptom score and Neuropad and most dissimilar to electrophysiological parameters and quantitative sensory testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal sensitivity, although not strongly related, is associated with other functional measures of DPN and might provide a useful adjunct in identifying functional loss of small nerve fibre integrity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. n.pritchard@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vagenas
authors.forename: Anthony W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Rayaz A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology