title: EVALUATION OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES OF INTRAVITREAL AFLIBERCEPT INJECTIONS FOR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION USING FOCAL MACULAR ELECTRORETINOGRAPHY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between morphological changes and functional improvements assessed using focal macular electroretinograms after intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections in eyes with wet age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical records of 42 eyes of 42 consecutive patients with naive, wet age-related macular degeneration received 3 monthly IVA were reviewed. The best-corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, outer retinal thickness, inner retinal thickness at baseline and 1 month after each IVA, and focal macular electroretinograms at baseline and 1 month after the first and third IVA were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Best-corrected visual acuity was improved after the third IVA (P = 0.0091). Central foveal thickness and outer retinal thickness showed decreases after every IVA (P < 0.001, respectively). Inner retinal thickness showed a decrease after the second IVA (P = 0.002), after and third IVA (P = 0.001). On focal macular electroretinograms, a- and b-wave amplitudes showed increases after the third IVA (P = 0.0028, P = 0.0012, respectively). Significant correlations were observed between best-corrected visual acuity and central foveal thickness, a-wave amplitude and outer retinal thickness, and b-wave amplitude and inner retinal thickness changes after the third IVA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All parameters significantly recovered after three monthly IVA, with a correlation between functional improvements and morphological changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Ruka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maruko
authors.forename: Chang-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terasaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012160:Retina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor