title: Development of a Novel Technique to Measure Corneal Nerve Migration Rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have developed a novel technique to measure in vivo corneal nerve migration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wide-field montages of the subbasal corneal nerve plexus were generated at baseline and after 3 weeks. The 2 montages were manually examined side by side to identify a referent landmark in the inferior whorl region and 20 additional nerve landmarks throughout each montage. A software program was developed to measure nerve migration by quantifying the movement of the nerve landmarks relative to the inferior whorl landmark over the 3-week period. To illustrate the utility of this technique, nerve migration was measured in 2 individuals with diabetes (one with and the other without neuropathy) and a healthy control participant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average nerve migration rate was calculated to be 18.4, 49.9, and 41.5 μm/wk for the diabetic individuals with and without neuropathy and the control participant, respectively. The number of landmarks for tracking nerve migration in the participants was 26, 21, and 20, and they were at an average distance of 1500, 1940, and 1461 μm, from the whorl, respectively. The rate of migration depended on the distance from the whorl; hence, linear equations were generated for each subject for comparison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel imaging technique allows rapid measurement of in vivo corneal nerve migration. The results indicate that diabetic neuropathy may be associated with reduced nerve migration; however, because of the high level of manual input required in this technique and the apparent complex characteristics of corneal nerve migration, repeatability and characterization studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: *Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia;†School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia;‡Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia;§Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; and¶Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: Cirous
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al Rashah
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Rayaz A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efron
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D020433:Trigeminal Nerve Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*