Multi-Electrode Electroretinography: Toward Single-Flash Mapping of Retinal Func

描述（由研究者提供）：由于创伤或疾病导致的视网膜损伤通常是局部的。 监测视网膜功能障碍的空间进展对于诊断、研究和治疗流行的视网膜病变是重要的，并且对于早期诊断是至关重要的。 因此，测量视觉空间缺陷的非侵入性方法是重要的，如Humphrey视野测试（HVF）和多焦视网膜电图（mfERG）的广泛使用所证明的。 本文提出了一种新的方法，利用传统的全场刺激和角膜上的电极阵列来绘制视网膜活动的空间差异（多电极视网膜电图，meERG）。 该方法克服了HVF和mfERG方法施加的几个限制。 特别是，与HVF和mfERG所需的几分钟时间相比，它将仅用几秒钟的记录时间提供视网膜健康的直接测量，从而避免了中心视力低的患者难以实现的长固定时间。 此外，meERG直接测量视网膜功能，包含临床有用的信息; HVF和mfERG提供间接测量。 这一建议是支持试点数据，实验（大鼠）和计算3-D有限元（FE）模型。 为了建立使用meERG记录绘制视网膜活动的概念验证，将满足三个目标。 首先，制作包含13个电极的接触透镜电极阵列。 其次，将表征视网膜活动的空间变化与相应的角膜电位之间的关系。 空间变异性视网膜活动（“视网膜功能障碍”）将使用不均匀照明和局部激光损伤引起。 第三，将基于几种视网膜功能障碍情况下的meERG数据优化和验证大鼠眼睛的FE模型（前向问题）。 一旦通过正问题建立了视网膜活动的meERG映射的概念证明，就可以开发逆问题计算（超出了本R21提案的范围）。 逆问题类似于使用体表电位的大脑和心脏活动的功能映射，并且将直接受益于这些领域数十年的工作。 meERG方法可以很容易地扩展到人类研究和UIC眼科和视觉科学系的临床环境，尽管在动物研究中的潜在应用也很重要。 公共卫生相关性：由于创伤或疾病导致的视网膜损伤通常是局部的。 监测视网膜功能障碍的空间进展对于常见视网膜病变的诊断、研究和治疗非常重要，并且对于早期诊断至关重要。 本文提出了一种利用全视野刺激和角膜上的电极阵列来绘制视网膜活动空间差异的新方法。 该方法与现有方法相比具有几个优点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Damage to the retina, due to trauma or disease, is usually localized. Monitoring the spatial progression of retinal dysfunction is important to the diagnosis, study, and treatment of prevalent retinal pathologies, and can be critical to early diagnosis. Non-invasive methods to measure spatial deficits in vision are therefore important, as evidenced by the widespread use of the Humphrey visual field test (HVF) and the multi- focal electroretinogram (mfERG). A new method for mapping spatial differences in retinal activity, using a conventional full-field stimulus and an array of electrodes on the cornea, is proposed here (the multi-electrode electroretinogram, meERG). This method overcomes several of the limitations imposed by the HVF and mfERG methods. In particular, it will provide direct measurement of retinal health with just a few seconds of recording time, as compared to several minutes of time required with the HVF and mfERG, thereby avoiding the long fixation times that are difficult for patients with low central vision to achieve. Further, the meERG makes a direct measurement of retinal function containing clinically-useful information; the HVF and mfERG provide indirect measures. This proposal is supported by pilot data, both experimental (in rat) and from computational 3-D finite element (FE) models. To establish the proof of concept of mapping retinal activity using meERG recording, three objectives will be met. First, a contact lens electrode array containing 13 electrodes will be fabricated. Second, the relationship between spatial variations in retinal activity and corresponding corneal potentials will be characterized. Spatially-variant retinal activity ("retinal dysfunction") will be elicited using inhomogeneous illumination and focal laser damage. Third, the FE model of the rat eye will be optimized and validated based on the meERG data under several retinal dysfunction scenarios (forward problem). Once the proof of concept for meERG mapping of retinal activity has been established via the forward problem, development of the inverse problem computation would follow (beyond the scope of this R21 proposal). The inverse problem is analogous to functional mapping of brain and cardiac activity using body surface potentials, and will benefit directly from the decades of work in those areas. The meERG approach can be easily extended to human studies and the clinical setting at the UIC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, though the potential applications in animal studies are also significant. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Damage to the retina, due to trauma or disease, is usually localized. Monitoring the spatial progression of retinal dysfunction is important to the diagnosis, study, and treatment of prevalent retinal pathologies, and can be critical to early diagnosis. A new method for mapping spatial differences in retinal activity, using a full-field stimulus and an array of electrodes on the cornea, is proposed here. This method has several advantages over existing methods.