Correlation of structural OCT Angiography and Electroretinography in healthy and glaucomatous participants

Glaucoma is an irreversible and potentially blinding condition that affects around 75 million people worldwide. The insidious nature of glaucoma often results in late presentation and poorer prognosis. The disease often causes asymptomatic retinal changes that occur before functional damage to the visual field. In glaucoma, perfusion of the optic nerve, responsible for sending visual signals to the brain, is compromised.
Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive technique that images microcirculation, and therefore perfusion, in the retina, choroid, and optic nerve head.
Although OCTA offers a window into retinal morphology and metabolic function, it gives little information on neuronal activity. Full-field flash electroretinography (FFERGs), allows us to assess this neuronal activity. Our lab use RETeval, a portable hand-held machine to measure FFERGs without the use of dilating drops. It is efficient and fast to administer and may be used on all types of patient populations, making it a desirable clinical tool.
The purpose of the project is to determine if compromised perfusion of the optic nerve in glaucoma occurs early, so that timely treatment may allow for visual function to be preserved. This will be achieved through a holistic approach, assessing electrophysiological function and blood flow in the retina.