Ocular blood flow values measured by laser speckle flowgraphy correlate with the postmenstrual age of normal neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationships between optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), and postmenstrual age and body weight in normal neonates.


METHODS
During their normal sleep, we studied 24 infants (postmenstrual age, 248-295 days) whose ocular blood flow could be measured three consecutive times. While the subjects slept in the supine position, three mean blur rate (MBR) values of the ONH were obtained: the MBR-A (mean of all values), MBR-V (vessel mean) and MBR-T (tissue mean) in the ONH. With regard to eye diseases, no retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was observed, and no severe systemic diseases requiring treatment were noted in the subjects. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between the MBR-A, -V, -T and postmenstrual age (days) and body weight (g).


RESULTS
Postmenstrual age was significantly correlated with MBR-A (r = 0.64, p = 0.0007), MBR-V (r = 0.62, p = 0.0012) and MBR-T (r = 0.62, p = 0.0012). However, the body weight was not correlated with the MBR (MBR-A: r = 0.37, p = 0.07, MBR-V: r = 0.31, p = 0.14, MBR-T: r = 0.38, p = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results clarified that the values of ocular blood flow measured by LSFG correlate with the postmenstrual age of normal neonates.
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan. matsu-t@med.toho-u.ac.jp.
Tadashi
T
Matsumoto
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
Takashi
T
Itokawa
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
Tomoaki
T
Shiba
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
Yuuji
Y
Katayama
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
Tetsushi
T
Arimura
Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
Kotaro
K
Hine
Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
Norio
N
Mizukaki
Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
Hitoshi
H
Yoda
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1 Omori-Nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
Yuichi
Y
Hori
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D012016:Reference Values
LSFG-baby; Laser speckle flowgraphy; Normal neonate; Ocular blood flow; Optic nerve head; Postmenstrual age