title: Electrophysiology and colour: a comparison of methods to evaluate inner retinal function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several methods are routinely used in the clinic to diagnose and monitor diseases of inner retinal function. In this study, we compare four such methods in patients with diabetes and glaucoma, to determine correlations between their results and to determine which method is most sensitive for detecting disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty control subjects, 12 patients with early glaucoma and eight patients with diabetes mellitus, were enrolled in the study. All underwent four examinations: transient pattern electroretinogram (PERG), multifocal pattern electroretinogram (mfPERG), chromatic contrast threshold measurements (protan and tritan), and blue-on-yellow short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the total cohort of 40 subjects, the results show a significant correlation between the amplitudes of the PERG and those of the mfPERG, as well as between the tritan contrast thresholds and the SWAP MD. Furthermore, ROC analyses reveal that colour contrast thresholds could significantly distinguish between the patient and the control group. Glaucoma patients alone could also be distinguished.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the methods compared in this study show correlations between their results if they are testing same pathway or underling cells, and that the colour contrast threshold is the most sensitive method to detect early functional deficits in diabetic and glaucoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. anne.kurtenbach@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtenbach
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kernstock
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 12-16, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.|Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zrenner
authors.affiliation: University Eye Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Langrová
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diabetes; Diagnostic tests; Electroretinography; Glaucoma; Psychophysics; Retina